Ida Royani gained fame as comedian Benyamin's comely sidekick in popular musical comedies of the 1970s. She gave up that high life for a more religious calling as a Muslim fashion designer. She is now 54, the mother of 8 and a grandmother.

Covering Up: I was always interested in fashion and was a style trend-setter for women in Jakarta. I was the first woman to wear thigh-high boots here, and then others followed me. After I came back from Malaysia in 1978 [she had been married to a member of the Malaysian royal family] I started wearing the headscarf. I had studied the Koran, the Haditz, which say that a woman must cover her aurat (exposed body parts except for the face and hands). As a Muslim, I decided I had to take responsibility for my actions.

Trail-blazer: I was the pioneer, in wearing it and designing it. My family supported me wholeheartedly, but it was my friends who were doubtful about my decision.

At the time, people gave me funny looks, as if to say, "What does she think she's doing?" Some people were angry at me. But I am glad to say that many of those same women are now wearing it today.

New Designs: At that time, it was only grandmothers who wore it, and it was all the same standard design. But the instruction is that only that you have to cover yourself; the fabric must not be see-through or the design tight enough to reveal the body. It does not say the design must be plain or to use certain colors. So, I tried different things after a while, using bright colors, various designs. At first, people were surprised: They said, "So, Muslim fashion can be like this?"

Less is More: The only thing with Muslim fashion is you have to be careful not to do too much. It shouldn't be too busy. If you want flowers or other decorations, then the outfit should be one color, not many different types.

Telling my Story: Today, I am proud that my obsession to promote Muslim fashion and wearing the headscarf has been realized. All five of my daughters wear it. Researchers come from other countries to interview me, to ask for my story about promoting the headscarf and Muslim fashion. I'm never bored of telling the story.