Aheda Zanetti

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Aheda Zanetti
Born1967 (age 57–58)
Tripoli, Lebanon
NationalityLebanese-Australian
Occupation(s)Fashion designer, entrepreneur
Known forCreator of the burkini; founder of Ahiida
Website ahiida.com

Aheda Zanetti (born 1967 in Tripoli, Lebanon) is a Lebanese-born Australian fashion designer, best known for inventing the "Burkini" modest swimwear for women and for founding the brand AHIIDA. Her designs focus on enabling Muslim women (and other modest-dress wearers) to participate in sport and leisure on equal terms. [1]

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Early life

Zanetti was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, and moved with her family to Australia when she was two years old. She grew up in Sydney. [2]

Career

Zanetti first designed the hijood (a portmanteau of hijab and hood) for Muslim girls to practice sports. [2] In 2004, she launched a series of sportswear for Muslim women under the trademark Ahiida, [2] and founded the company Ahiida Pty Ltd (AHIIDA). Under that brand, she has designed what she named the burqini (or burkini) (a portmanteau of burqa and bikini) for use by Muslim female swimmers. [3] She estimates her sales at more than 700,000 garments since 2008. [2] Burqini and Burkini are registered trademarks owned by Zanetti's company, though they have become generic terms for similar forms of Islamic swimwear. [2]

References

  1. ↑ Mankad, Prerna (27 October 2025). "All hail the burqini". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The surprising Australian origin story of the 'burkini'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "'It's just a swimsuit': Australian burkini designer mystified by ban". ABC. 18 August 2016.


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