A sea of vibrant hijabs filled Howard University’s Blackburn Ballroom. All eyes were fixed on the runway, where models wore flowy modest clothing, including colorful crochet pieces designed by University of Maryland student Sarrah Ewing.
Ewing first learned to crochet at 10-years-old after being introduced to the craft by her mother. Now, she owns Stardust Stitchez, a fashion crochet business that has sold over 50 pieces to date.
The business sells handmade pieces such as skirts, sweaters, pants, hats, shrugs, and bags.
Ewing says her experience designing pieces for the 2025 Hijab Fest Fashion Show at Howard pushed her to focus on her business. This was Ewing’s first time displaying her work at an event.
“It was a surreal experience,” the senior criminal justice major said. “Seeing everyone applaud for my stuff, hearing everyone talk about it afterwards, and walking the runway myself…I was proud.”
About a month before the Hijab Fest, Ewing was asked if she could take the spot of a designer who had dropped out at the last minute.
Ewing designed and created five outfits in a month while juggling her midterms. Three days before the event, she completed the final outfit, a brown maxi skirt with brown and green ruffles.
At the Hijab Fest, a woman approached Ewing and asked if she could buy the skirt for her upcoming vacation. The woman turned out to be Aysha Harun, a hijabi influencer with over a million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
Harun ended up posting a video wearing the skirt that Ewing made and tagging Ewing’s instagram account.
“Right after that my [messages] were flooded [with orders].” Ewing said. “I was actually so scared and overwhelmed.”
The next day, Ewing decided to quit her job as a preschool teacher and focus on her business.
Iman Brim, the co-head of the Hijab Fest, encouraged Ewing to participate in the event to get her out of her comfort zone.
“Hijab Fest was a pivotal moment in spurring the big break of Stardust Stitchez,” the Howard University alum said. “Once she actually pushed herself to start creating these designs, and these outfits, and putting all this time and effort into it, it was such a big thing for her to see that she could really do this.”
Brim says Ewing’s confidence in her skills grew after the Hijab Fest.
Sara Mohammad, a friend of Ewing’s who helped her run the Stardust Stitchez table at the MSA Bazaar last semester, shared the importance of Muslim businesses in breaking down stereotypes.
“Walking down the street, a lot of people don’t want to approach Muslims because they have a narrative of who we are as [people],” the junior psychology and criminology double major said. “Having businesses that are Muslim-owned, you can interact with them in a way that maybe people wouldn’t typically be willing to approach. ”
Ewing plans on participating in HU’s upcoming 2026 Hijab Fest. She hopes to continue expanding her business and eventually start selling her crocheting patterns.
“Sarrah is a very impressive person,” Mohammed said. “She was doing this business while she was working and attending university…she deserves a lot of recognition for all of her efforts.”
Image credits: Cover photo by Amna Tariq/Al-Hikmah Staff.
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