The summer before first grade, junior Shifa Bashir stood back and admired her first-day-of-school outfit: a romper that she picked out herself. But when she showed it to her mom, she wasn’t met with the excitement that she had hoped for. Displeased with how the romper exposed Bashir’s legs, her mom advised her to wear leggings underneath to maintain modesty.
Even today, Bashir constantly sees pieces that appeal to her but do not cover her shoulders and legs, which is required for modesty in her Muslim faith.
After years of searching for a modest wardrobe that also fits her fashion style, Bashir decided to create her own clothing line: Shifashion, a clever combination of her first name and the clothing she designs.
“Being in love with fashion and wanting to express myself but also being Muslim is like loving to bake, but only being able to make things that are gluten-free, keto and dairy-free,” Bashir said. “Obviously, you can still bake something, but how do you create something that follows all those restrictions and tastes good? In the same way, it’s hard to make outfits that follow my faith and stay somewhat true to my personal style at the same time.”
Starting Shifashion was no easy task. After competing in FUHSD’s Business Entrepreneurship and Encouragement Program in 2024 and winning first place for her Shifashion pitch, she invested her $1,000 cash prize into producing her first clothing samples. Bashir contacted hundreds of clothing manufacturers via the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba, engaging in difficult virtual negotiations across language barriers to adjust her designs.
Bashir starts her design process by hunting for inspiration on Pinterest, where she picks out clothing designs that appeal to her. Styles like halter tops, tank tops and tube tops need readjustment to fit Bashir’s vision of modesty for Shifashion.
For example, Bashir crafted a pink long-sleeve shirt with a halter-style undershirt that peeks through the neckline, inspired by layering a tube top over a halter top. While similar in design, Bashir’s version of the top is tailored for those who prefer more coverage in their clothing.
Bashir starts her design process by pasting designs into Canva, where she notes the adjustments necessary to make each piece truly suitable for modest individuals. She uses ChatGPT to assist with creating a 3D rendering model of her design, following up with prompts to modify the generation like “make the top dark red,” “raise the neckline” or “add long sleeves.”
After weeks of design, refinement and communication with vendors, Bashir received her first samples in October 2025. Although she immediately saw many areas that needed to be adjusted, she loved seeing her brand come to life through the prototypes she held in her hands. Bashir says it felt like a resolution to her childhood struggles to find modest attire.
“I opened the package and saw my neck tag on it that said ‘Shifashion,’” Bashir said. “There’s some things in life you really just can’t process. I still haven’t processed this because it’s just so exciting. I was on the verge of tears.”
Throughout her business journey, Bashir has also gotten help from fellow Muslims at Lynbrook, such as junior Xara Aman, who modeled for the brand, and Class of 2025 alumna Inaaya Yousuf, who designed the logo and conducted a photo shoot for Shifashion.
“This brand, overall, is something that I’ve been wanting to see for a long time,” Yousuf said. “It is so hard to find affordable clothing that follows the guidelines of a lot of religious or more modest styles. I think this is a really great adventure and I’m really excited to see where she goes.”
In honor of her support system of Muslim teens, Bashir named her first collection “The Sisterhood Collection,” with each piece named after an impactful Muslim woman in her life.
Bashir hopes to sell online and at local craft fairs after launching the collection in April with one starting piece, which she has stocked 100 units of. She promotes her business through word of mouth and social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
In the future, Bashir hopes to expand her brand in size and breadth, potentially designing a swimwear line. For now, she’ll keep refining her samples and building up her business before launch day.
