Halima Aden Rethinks Her Role In The Fashion Industry: “I Am For The People, I Am For Myself”
The IMG-signed model made a very important announcement over a series of Instagram stories this week…
Halima Aden is a household name stranger to none. The 23-year-old Somali-American first made a public appearance at the Miss Minnesota USA pageant in 2016. Shortly after, she gained international recognition and was signed by IMG models in 2017.
Now, almost four years later, Halima has decided to take a step back from the catwalk…
“Thanks to COVID & the break away from the industry, I have finally realised where I went wrong in my personal hijab journey,” she shared on her Instagram story.
Fashion was NEVER for me. I am for the PEOPLE! I am for my IMAAN! I have WOKEN UP!!! https://t.co/kuzoZLfgZi
— Halima Aden (@Kinglimaa) November 25, 2020
Halima’s entrance into the fashion world was a huge milestone for Muslim women worldwide; having had a successful modeling career, she has walked in shows representing some of the biggest fashion brands in the industry — including the likes of Yeezy, Max Mara and more.
A few days ago, she took to her Instagram to share her hijab journey throughout the years and showcase, with sincere vulnerability and authenticity, her highest highs and lowest lows from working within the industry.
Over the past few years, Halima has made huge strides for underrepresented groups and causes she feels passionately about. As a UNICEF Ambassador, she uses her platform to raise awareness and discuss issues pertaining to children’s rights. She also recently designed a matching face mask and hijab set to cater to hijabi women, especially those on the frontlines.
In her Stories, Halima credited her mother for ‘opening her eyes’ and reveals that her mother actually asked her to quit modelling a long time ago and that ‘her stance has never once changed.’
She also shared how she had to be her own stylist and used the opportunity to highlight the lack of Muslim women being hired in those roles. “Looking back now, I did what I said I would never do,” she wrote. “Which is compromise who I am in order to fit in.”
However hard it may have been to showcase her true thoughts across social media, she shared that she was glad she went through the journey she had, in order to be able to share with her followers where she went right and where she went wrong.
Once again, it seems like Halima’s mother was the force that gave her courage to address her grievances and encouraged her to rectify her mistakes publicly.
She also iterated that this was the standard she would be holding herself to going forward for anyone interested in working with her, emphasizing the importance of being comfortable in the way she was represented as a hijabi woman.
“I had to make those mistakes to be the role model you all can trust,” she shared towards the end of her narrative.”We gotta have these conversations in order to change the system truly.”
Halima received an outpour of support across social media from the masses, including from celebrities like Rihanna, Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid, to name a few.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/@halima