She # the Gallantry

 ENGLISH CIA-3 

ALINA FATIMA SIRAJ 

NCZ 

120420464036 

She the gallantry  

– Halima aden

She the Gallantry 

Halima Aden is a Somali-American fashion model. She is noted for being  the first hijabi supermodel yet and is also known for being the first  woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she  was a semi-finalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Halima  received national attention and was signed to IMG model. She was also  the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in the Sports Illustrated  swimsuit issue. 

Aden was born in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. She is Somali and at the age of six  moved to the United States, settling in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She attended Apollo High  School where her classmates voted her as their school homecoming queen. She is a student  at St. Cloud State University 

In 2016, Aden received national media attention after competing in the Miss Minnesota  USA pageant, she becoming the first contestant in the pageant to wear a burkini and a  hijab. Some analysts saw this as a move towards diversification in the modeling industry.

The following year, Aden signed a three-year contract with renewal with IMG Models. In  February 2017, she made her debut at the New York Fashion Week for Yeezy Season 5. She  later served as a preliminary and telecast judge of the Miss USA 2017 pageant. 

She has since walked for numerous designers, including Maxmara and Alberta Ferretti. She  has also participated in the 2016 Milan Fashion Week and London Modest Fashion Week.  Aden posed for American Eagle and British Glamour, and has a CR Fashion Book cover. 

Aden was the first hijab-wearing model to walk international runways and to be signed to a  major agency. In June 2017, she became the first hijab-wearing model on the cover of Vogue  Arabia, Allure, and British Vogue 

In 2018, Aden became a UNICEF ambassador. Her work is focused around children's rights. 

In May 2019, Aden became the first model to wear the hijab and burkini in Sports Illustrated  Swimsuit. 

This was not the first time in her career that she broke boundaries, further diversifying the  industry to be more inclusive of Muslims. Aden stated on her Instagram that her appearance  in Sports Illustrated sends a message to both her community and the world that "women of all  different backgrounds, looks, upbringings can stand together and be celebrated.” Halima  became the first black woman with hijab to be featured on the cover of Essence magazine, in  2020’s January

In April 2019, Aden collaborated with modest clothing brand Modanisa to design her own  turban and shawl collection called Halima x Modanisa. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Aden  stated that her collection is for everyone, whether they wear the hijab or not. She released the  collection at the Istanbul Modest Fashion Week on April 20, 2019. 

In December 2021 she was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women. 

Aden’s modelling contract includes her hijab, as she has made it a non-negotiable part of her  work. 

Aden has spoken out about difficulties she faces in booking modeling jobs that are not  accommodating to the fact that she wears the hijab. She described positive experiences as with  Maxmara, where looks were specifically designed for her considering her clothing choices. Aden  reaffirms that she does not need to conform to society’s standards in order to be a successful  model. 

She is a successful model though she has faced negativities from people for her appearance and  different fashion sense. Now her net worth is about 1-4$ million. She is currently partnered  with UNICEF and strives to one day become a UN Ambassador to return to Kenya and instill  hope in refugees.