Small business: Aneeza Hussain meets local demand for hijabi fashion

Aneeza Hussain started Posh Boutique in 2021 to meet local demand for affordable, modest fashion. Photo / Supplied

Growing up as a hijabi in Auckland, Aneeza Hussain says shopping for the right clothes was always a challenge. In 2021, she started Posh Boutique - an online modest-wear retailer curated for young women in Aotearoa, now featured at Parnell Rd’s Masala Bazaar.

After two years in business, Hussain has been inundated with more demand from home and overseas for modest fashion and says global fashion trends are finally catching up.

What is Posh Boutique?

Posh Boutique is the solution to my problems growing up as a girl who chose to dress modest, but always had difficulty in finding the right clothing.

As I put my creativity out there, I quickly realised I wasn’t the only one. There are lots of women out there who struggle every day to find something for themselves.

We’re here to cater to people who want to blend in and stand out at the same time while feeling their best confident self.

Why did you start the business?

I started the business in 2021 in lockdown. I took some brave steps in lockdown for my vision of fashion and what I feel has been missing for me. I think lockdown gave everyone a little bit of time to think about things - that’s what got me started.

Growing up as a hijabi or someone who wears a headscarf, it was just hard growing up to shop for yourself. So rather than crying about it, you get up and do something.

It was actually starting a new job where I didn’t have a uniform, so I had to have an outfit for everyday.

That really amplified the problem for me. It’s very hard for me to shop anywhere and be able to dress the way I want to, blending in and standing out at the same time.

What do you mean by blending in and standing out?

I was born in Fiji, I grew up in New Zealand, and I’m a Muslim, so it is a bit of an identity crisis. On top of that, I’m a hijabi so growing up here, you go to school and want to be like your friends.

You also just want to embrace what fashion and modesty feels like for yourself, because it’s quite different for everybody.

I found it really interesting to see Sofia Richie on TikTok embracing modesty, and then that comes out as a trend.

It’s really wonderful to see the world is embracing modesty in their own way.

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How did you get into business?

My background is a little bit opposite to this. I worked as a pharmacy technician for a couple of years, and Covid burnt me out.

I wanted to do something that brought me a little bit of joy. I still have a part-time job as a health coach at a medical centre.

I do everything at Posh Boutique - I’m the photographer, I’m ordering, I stock take. I have so many hats that I put on.

Startups are always hard because building the business up on your own is quite hard.

Where do you source your products?

I have to source them from overseas. Most of my products are from Turkey. It is hard to trust someone on the internet, so we had to do background research to import products to get here. It is quite a task.

The cost of everything is rising and shipping is our biggest cost. Growing up, you don’t always have a lot of money so I want it to be affordable for everybody.

I try not to go into the high end, we’re just here for the everyday woman. If you look at modest clothing online, it’s quite expensive and that was a barrier for me growing up.

So I’m really trying to keep products affordable even with the high shipping costs.

Posh Boutique's range at Parnell's Masala Bazaar. Photo / Supplied

What supply chain issues are you dealing with at the moment?

Shipping companies increase their shipping costs every couple of months. I want to get a larger quantity of products, because in all honesty the demand is there.

I would love to be pumping out lots of stock all the time, but you just have to be really practical about how much you can afford to bring in and how much you can afford to sell.

We currently don’t ship worldwide because of that, but I do have a lot of customers that enquire about international shipping.

Sometimes we do it - I have to go into the post office and work out some costs and when we do it that way.

I would love to have worldwide shipping, but the cost is just so high.

How much has demand gone up in the two years you’ve been running?

I was absolutely gobsmacked. I was in awe of how much demand and appreciation there was for my line.

I actually laugh because people say this to me: ‘I’m so glad you do this because it’s really hard to find something at the mall’.

And I’m really glad because what you wear affects how confident you feel during the day.

Even if I go out and someone who doesn’t look like me appreciates my line, it’s a very proud moment for me and just makes me realise how much demand there is.

I hope to keep meeting that demand and I’m slowly growing. I’m getting there.

Where can people find your products?

We’re online at the moment but we’re featured at Masala Bazaar on Parnell Rd.

What advice do you have for people who want to start a business like yourself?

As with anything, you need to have passion for what you’re going to pursue.

You have to understand your target customer. Start with a small, simple business plan. It doesn’t have to be too complicated. Then you just build it up - you will learn a lot along the way.

Being in New Zealand, the opportunity to thrive in such a warm environment is really nice.

People’s appreciation and positivity towards my business is nice to see.

There are a lot of other businesses starting up by people who don’t come from business backgrounds - they’re breaking stereotypes and carving their own identity.

It’s so amazing to see that positivity.

Alka Prasad is an Auckland-based junior business reporter covering small business and retail. She joined the Herald in 2022 following the Te Rito cadetship programme.