The 19-year-old Somali-American has made history by becoming the first hijab-wearing model to be signed to the biggest modelling agency in the world…
Halima Aden first stepped into the limelight late last year when she made international news for competing in the Minnesota Miss USA beauty pageant wearing a hijab and a burkini. Now, the 19-year-old Somali-American has made history by becoming the first hijab-wearing model signed to IMG Models.
The iconic modelling agency which is home to some of the world’s biggest supermodels including Kate Moss, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Joan Smalls and Lauren Hutton, has signed Halima following her runway debut at New York Fashion Week, where she walked in Kanye West’s show.
Halima, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp but grew up in Minnesota, rocked her hijab and a floor-length fur coat on the runway to model the Yeezy Season 5 collection.
She later took to Instagram announcing that she had landed her first modelling contract with IMG, posting a picture from her first editorial feature shot by fashion legend, Mario Sorrenti, in former Vogue Paris editor, Caroline Roitfield’s CR Fashion Book.
In the caption, she wrote:
“I signed with the top modeling agency in the WORLD and still wore my hijab as my crown.”“Don’t ever change yourself ..Change the game”, she continued. “I can’t thank @evelienjoos, @carineroitfeld , @ronnie_hart , and @benperreira enough for believing in me. Thank you so much @usastatepageants for opening this door
”
Speaking to Vogue US, Halima expressed how important it is to be yourself and abandon stereotypes.
“My goal is to send a message to Muslim women and young women everywhere that it’s okay to break stereotypes and be yourself,” she said. “Always stay true to who you are – barriers can and will be broken!”
And we have no doubts Halima will be breaking even more barriers in the future, congratulations to her!