When it comes to modest fashion—and in this case, the hijab—the possibility of what one can do with a single scarf has always been an exciting challenge. A humble piece of fabric, yet at the same time a blank canvas for beautiful illustrations and endless meanings. One such example? Soof.
Sparked from a tiny experimental project with fabric, Soof has since bloomed into a creative force of its own. The homegrown hijab brand is known for its whimsical prints and anticipated cutely-themed drops—each revealing the imaginative storytelling of its founder, Zakiah.
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Each piece begins as an abstract of her everyday life: a pattern spotted in nature, a doodle, or even a phrase that stuck with her. From there, the process turns technical—testing how motifs fall once worn, how hues shift on fabric, what kind of material to use, and how each scarf moves and drapes throughout the day. It’s a detailed, thoughtful approach—one that has become a defining part of Soof’s charm. The label also collaborates widely with illustrators—Farihath, Everwondrous, and Nzakrh—among many others, whose distinctive artistic voices expand the brand’s visual universe. Together, they’ve built a language that feels symbolic and deeply personal, yet always rooted in wearability.
Soof’s reach also extends into Singapore’s creative circuit, from pop-ups to design markets that bring the brand closer to its community. Its collaborative streak even recently entered the music scene through a partnership with local singer-songwriter Shazza on a capsule scarf inspired by her album Happy, Wretched and Terrified—a crossover that reflects the label’s growing presence beyond fashion and into the city’s wider creative landscape.
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As the local modest fashion scene continues to expand and evolve, Soof does too. Through a mix of creative partnerships and carefully considered design, every step reinforces the steady, intentional journey that defines Zakiah and her label’s vision.
How did Soof come about?
My name is Zakiah, and I’m the founder and creative behind Soof. I started Soof because I felt scarves could be more than something functional. I wanted them to hold emotion, art, and imagination. What began as a small experiment in storytelling through fabric has grown into a community and a world of its own.
What’s the ethos behind Soof?
For me, the ethos of Soof is that a scarf is never just fabric. It’s a symbol, an emotional object—something that can hold prayer, joy, memory, or even companionship. Our pieces are made to transcend trend cycles, and they’re designed to become timeless pieces filled with layers of meaning.
How does a design move from idea to finished scarf?
A Soof design begins as bits and pieces of my everyday life—a pattern from nature, a string of words, a little doodle—but the process of turning it into a scarf is highly technical. We start by designing at scale, keeping in mind that a scarf is not a flat canvas but a moving, folding surface. Motifs are carefully placed so they fall beautifully no matter how it’s draped. Borders are mapped to anchor the print, and the proportions are tested repeatedly on real people.
Then comes colour calibration: what looks good on a screen rarely translates exactly to fabric, so we go through multiple test prints, adjusting hues by percentages until they feel alive. Only when both the art and the engineering align does a design become a finished Soof scarf.
How do you balance functionality and artistry?
It’s really a balance of physics and feeling. A scarf must stay in place, fold without stiffness, and feel light on the skin. If it doesn’t achieve that, it’ll be a bad hijab day—no amount of pretty print can save that. That means thinking about thread density, weight per square metre, and how fibres like modal or chiffon respond to movement and humidity. We test how the weight pulls against pins or magnets, even how it wrinkles after hours of wear. Only when the science of drape is right can the art piece truly live.
How do you choose materials for each design?
Each material really has its own personality. Chiffon is a cult favourite, so we almost always have her. She’s crisp, clear, and shows every brushstroke—which makes every hour spent on an artwork feel worthwhile. Modal prints are soft and muted, like watercolour. It’s also the material that tends to resonate most with Gen Z. Cotton-silk has weight and fluidity—almost painterly. I let the mood of the design guide me. Sometimes we print across all materials, and I love it when the result surprises me—when the same artwork takes a completely new life on a different fabric.
How do you choose the artists to collaborate with and how have they shaped Soof and the local community?
It’s instinctive. I look for sincerity and a willingness to enter Soof’s universe of symbolism and soul. We look for people who can expand the language of Soof, adding dimensions we couldn’t have imagined alone. Illustrators bring their own hand, quirks, and soul, and that widens the visual vocabulary of Soof. Every collaborator leaves behind traces of their own distinct world: Farihath’s particular line style, Everwondrous’ way of drawing flora, and Nzakrh’s unexpected use of colour. Those differences stretch what Soof can be, so the brand never feels static or limited to just my own imagination. With each collaboration, I discover new ways of looking at composition, balance, or symbolism—and that feeds back into how I approach future designs.
For the modest community, this matters because it opens up possibilities. When they see a hijab carrying not just florals or repeating motifs, but layered symbols, playful references, or even surreal art, it reshapes how they view themselves. It says: your clothing can be both devotional and expressive—rooted in tradition yet unafraid to experiment.
“Illustrators bring their own hand, quirks, and soul, and that widens the visual vocabulary of Soof—every collaborator leaves behind traces of their own distinct world.”
How does Soof engage with Singapore’s modest fashion space?
For us, modesty isn’t about limitation. It’s about dignity, imagination, and presence. We contribute by telling inclusive stories, representing women tenderly and powerfully, and reminding the community that modest fashion can be visionary and soulful, not just practical.
What challenges have you faced building Soof?
One of the hardest parts has been protecting slowness in a world that demands speed and constant novelty. A Soof scarf takes months to bring to life, and choosing to move at that pace can feel countercultural. Along the way, I’ve also seen our pieces copied, which used to sting deeply because each design carries so much of my own heart. But over time I’ve learned to see it differently: if something is copied, it means it resonated. It taught me to hold tighter to originality, to trust in the integrity of our process, and to believe that authenticity lasts far longer than imitation.
Which collections feel most personal to you?
Two collections live closest to my heart. The first was inspired by my son, Adam Hakim, who is obsessed with Tomica cars. I wanted him to feel joy seeing me wear a scarf filled with the things he loved most, so we made a piece bursting with those cars. It was playful, personal, and for once, my design language was guided entirely by a child’s delight.
The second is the Amani—which means Peace or Wishes—collection, created while I was pregnant with my daughter whilst juggling a one-year-old toddler. During that time, I was vulnerable and emotional, and honestly, prayers got me through that phase. I imagined what heaven might feel like: a place of peace, nearness to God, and lightness of being. That became the inspiration for the scarf—a depiction of closeness to the divine, and of carrying hope in fabric.
What’s next for Soof?
I’m excited about expanding Soof’s world across disciplines—poetry, ceramics, even education. Scarves will always be our core, but the dream is to make Soof a universe where art, fashion, and community live side by side.
