I’ve been wanting you to meet Paola for a long time! Read on to find out more about this incredible Lady Wrap Star from the Netherlands!

I found out about Wrapunzel in 2015. As a Muslima the scarf and I have a special relationship. I simply love scarves and have way too many of them. I wear them all year round, Summer and Winter, it doesn’t matter, around the neck but also on my head. In the beginning of 2015, I was thinking about wearing the headscarf again. I was looking for a different way to wear it (i.e. not like my granny haha) and started searching on the internet for inspiration.

I watched a lot of so-called “hijabi” tutorials but I also watched a couple of videos in which a young lady wrapped her scarf in a way that was totally new to me. She used words I did not know, like tichel and sheitel, but I liked what she did and wanted to know more. I needed to know more.

I watched video after video and learned a lot of new ways to wrap my scarf. But not only about wrapping scarves, but also about why Jewish women wear the headscarf or mitpachat. Soon after that, I joined the fangroup on Facebook and I was hooked.

From that moment on I learned so many new ways to wrap the scarf, especially the turban look, which I love and is my all time favorite now. But I learned so much more. I had never realized that it is not only Moslim women who wear the scarf. I found out that a lot of Jewish and Christian sisters wear it too and I was eager to know why.

I learned how you could easily style your scarf, even when your hair is short (in those days my hear was often very short) using shapers and velvet headbands and all other kinds of accessories. But more important than that, I met a lot of ladies from all over the world and found out about a sisterhood, not only in the umma, the Moslim community, but beyond borders and beyond belief.  

Since I was a little girl I was interested in the world and its cultures. My granddad was the only one who really understood my fascination and he gave me books to read and took me on trips into town. He lived in the big city, Rotterdam, and I was growing up in a little sleepy town in which our Moslim family was an attraction itself haha.

Through the Wrapunzel Fangroup I met so many lovely ladies, from all faiths with whom I could talk about the things in life that are important to us. About headscarves of course, but also about so many other topics. The ladies in the Fangroup encourage each other, give each other tips and tricks, but most of all, are there for each other.

And that is what I love about the Wrapunzel Fangroup. It is not only scarves, it is beyond scarves. It is about our lives, about our struggles (do I wear the scarf or not) but also about our victories. And most important it is beyond Faith. And in these days of hatred and blaming others I am really glad there is still something like sisterhood.

It is true that I am a little absent in the Fangroup nowadays. My job takes a lot of my energy (too much right now I sometimes think) and in the house, there are still construction activities going on. But I still read everyone’s posts and I am still inspired by the pictures and the sisterhood amongst the members.

I still love my scarves although I do not wear them on my head every day. That is my own struggle, my personal battle, something between Allah and me. But there is one thing I know. You will be there for me sisters xxxxx.