Somali supermodel Halima Aden, the first Hijab-wearing model to grace the cover of Vogue, recently opened up about why she left the fashion industry in November 2020. According to Halima, the industry was incompatible with her faith, beliefs and priorities.
Despite being a sought after model, Halima Aden was very adamant about not removing her hijab under any circumstances. In fact, she even made it part of a clause in her modelling agreement that she would never remove it. However, she said that with time, she realised that she was losing control over her clothing.
In an interview with the BBC, she said, "I eventually drifted away and got into the confusing grey area of letting the team on-set style my hijab." The former supermodel added that towards the end of her career, her hijab got smaller and smaller, sometimes accentuating her neck and chest. Halima claims that on some occasions she had just wrapped jeans or other fabrics around her head.
Other Hijabi Models And Their Plight
Aden also observed that other hijab-wearing models who followed her into the fashion industry weren't treated with the same respect and dignity that she was privy to. Another clause of Aden's contract guaranteed her a 'blocked-out' box, for her privacy while getting dressed. However, she saw that her successors were told to find a bathroom to change in.
She said, "That rubbed me the wrong way and I was like, 'OMG, these girls are following in my footsteps, and I have opened the door to the lion's mouth.'"
"A lot of them are so young, it can be a creepy industry. Even the parties that we attended, I would always find myself in big sister mode having to grab one of the hijab-wearing models because she'd be surrounded by a group of men following and flocking her. I was like, 'This doesn't look right, she's a child.' I would pull her out and ask her who she was with," said Aden.
Also Read: The Cooper Hewitt Acquires Hijab Emoji and Inter-Skin Tone Emoji
Who is Halima Aden?
Halima Aden was born in a refugee camp in Kenya. She moved to the US when she was six years old, and grew up in St Cloud, Minnesota, which is home to the largest group of Somali-American community. She was one of the three Hijabi models of colour who were featured on the April 2019 cover of Vogue Arabia, alongside Ikram Abdi Omar and Amina Adan.
"I think it’s important to remember that wearing a hijab is a woman’s personal choice. It doesn’t make her any better or worse than another Muslim woman. To me, it symbolizes modesty and gives me a sense of power," Aden told Vogue. Read more on the Vogue cover here.
Image Credit: Reuters
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