Somali-American supermodel, and Vogue Arabia’s Diversity-Editor-at-large, Halima Aden took to Instagram yesterday to reflect on critical points of her career journey, from being the first hijab-wearing supermodel to building up confidence.
Whether it’s about female empowerment or inclusivity, Aden is renowned for using her voice, and platforms, to inspire and motivate younger Muslim girls. This time, following a long period of quarantine and introspection, the model used her Instagram stories to post about a series of topics close to her heart, opening up to her fans and followers about past experiences with race and bullying.
Instagram @Halima
Halima launched her thread by sharing her hijab journey whilst growing up as a minority in Minnesota, explaining how she was often picked on simply for looking and dressing differently. She also stressed the importance of sisterhood in helping her tackle the challenging times and remain faithful to her Islamic principles.
The model shared how this lack of representation was her initial driving force – leading her to inspire others, raise awarenesses for inclusivity and lead the development of a more modest fashion industry. She admits she regrets not refusing some shoots that didn’t feel right or didn’t follow her principles. “Never again taking a job that will require me to change my scarf style just to show off a necklace…I’m a hijab-wearing woman!” she wrote. Refererring to brands that don’t represent Hijabi women, she added, “As if we needed these brands to represent Hijabis, they need us. Never the other way around. But I was just so desperate.”
“I had to make those mistakes to be the role model you all can trust,” admits Aden, “Remember, I had no one before me paving the way so mistakes are part of the learning experience.” Halima concluded her thread with a powerful message, stating the importance of learning from one’s mistakes and staying true to your values.
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