By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.
World’s First Hijabi Supermodel, Halima Aden, Quits Industry Because Fashion is About Accepting Not ‘Compromising’
Halima Aden was recognised as the world's first hijabi supermodel, however, after spending four years here, she realised that the industry was not accepting her hijab rather it was making her feel uncomfortable and compromised. Read on.
If the name Halima Aden resonates with you, you probably are aware of the diversity and inclusivity that many people are trying to bring into the fashion scene at the global level. Halima is known as the world’s first hijabi supermodel who’s also actively associated with UNICEF to support various initiatives for the betterment of the Somali community, especially the Somali Muslim women. However, she has now quit the fashion industry.
Trending Now
In an elaborate post in her Instagram stories, Halima talked about how the fashion industry hasn’t still warmed up to the idea of seeing a hijabi model and how their ideas of representing a hijab are quite twisted and compromised. The 23-year-old model who was recognised by the biggest of the brands all over the world took to her Instagram stories on Wednesday and said that people in the fashion industry never seemed to be doing justice with her hijab and lacked stylists who could understand that wearing a hijab didn’t just mean covering head.
In her Instagram stories, she wrote how she made mistakes by giving in to the ruched standards of the industry because she wanted to get comfortable and be accepted. “I can only blame myself for caring more about opportunity than what was actually at stake. I blame myself for being naïve and rebellious, but also the lack of Muslim women stylists in the industry. I had to make these mistakes to be the role model you trust. We need to have these conversations in order to truly change the system,” she wrote.
In other posts, encouraging the fellow Hijabi women, and also apologising to them for not being able to understand their everyday struggles of being a ‘minority community in a minority community’, Halima wrote how she had lost her way but now, she has found her calling back. During her four years journey in the fashion world, she also encountered people and brands that were supporting the real causes and being mindful of the right representation of the persecuted communities and Halima gave a shout out to those in one of her other posts.
View this post on Instagram
For a literal graphic presentation, she went on to post pictures from the photoshoots she did in the past to show where she went wrong. One magazine cover had her covering her head with denim and that spoke volumes of how the industry made her feel uncomfortable about something that was part of her very sane existence in the world.
Four years back when she stepped into the industry, she was taken as the symbol of diversity and inclusivity in the fashion world and now when she has made another choice, we hope the women and the industry see it as inspiration once again!
Also Read:
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Lifestyle News on India.com.