Wearing Hijab, Halima Aden Makes New York Fashion Week Debut
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Halima Aden, who made headlines last year for being the first fully-covered Muslim woman to compete for the Miss Minnesota title, is now walking the runway for Kanye West.
The 19-year-old Somali model, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp but grew up near St. Cloud, made her New York Fashion Week debut Wednesday, strutting in the rap superstar's Yeezy Season 5 show.
#HalimaAden debuts at #KanyeWest (@kanyewest)'s #YEEZYseason5 show today at #NYFW. pic.twitter.com/QocyBwaqZB
— IMG Models (@IMGmodels) February 15, 2017
While Aden is new to fashion, she told Vogue magazine after the show that she's found the industry to be "welcoming and accepting," noting that her stylists find looks for her that are acceptable to her beliefs.
"I haven't received any pressure to be anything other than myself," she told the magazine, "and for that I am so grateful."
Last year, Aden made national headlines for being the first fully-covered Muslim woman to compete in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. She made the semifinals, stating that her goal in competing was to help change misconceptions about Islam in America.