She was the first woman to star in a hijab on the cover of Vogue – twice – and made history when she appeared in_Sports Illustrated_ wearing a burkini. Today, decked out in glamorous black-tie gowns and sparkling in Messika jewels, Grazia’s cover star Halima Aden looks every inch the model poster girl. But, in 2020, the trailblazing fashion icon shocked the industry when she made the decision to quit the modelling game. ‘I was fortunate that I entered this industry with a massive bang and it was just go, go, go! But I didn’t have the chance to pause and reflect,’ she tells Grazia.
Her story is the stuff of fashion fairy tale. A former Somali refugee, in 2016, aged just 19, Aden caught the world’s attention – including French fashion icon Carine Roitfeld – when she became the first contestant to compete at the Miss Minnesota USA beauty pageant in traditional modest Muslim attire. A global modelling contract with IMG soon followed, along with a lucrative career, walking in catwalk shows for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger in New York and Max Mara in Milan.
Her choice to call it quits came when the pandemic hit. ‘The advice I would give to anyone is that it’s OK to slow down. Sit down. Take a breather. Meditate. Recentre. I think being grounded is the greatest gift you could give yourself,’ she muses. ‘I’m so grateful that I gave myself that time to step back from the industry and focus on what really drives my heart, which is wanting to represent my refugee community and wanting to be a good role model to young Muslim
girls looking up to me.’
Born in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, before emigrating to the US at the age of seven, the 26-year- old has devoted the past three years to her role as a UNICEF ambassador, working with refugee camps in Nairobi, giving back to schools and the local community in her hometown in Minnesota and spending precious time with her family, especially her mother. ‘I’ve really got to know her on a much deeper level,’ she says. ‘She’s the reason why I am who I am.’
Now, she’s made the decision to return to the fashion fold – and is determined to do so on her own terms. ‘I wouldn’t do anything differently because I wouldn’t be where I am today. My goals now revolve around making a meaningful impact in the fashion industry. I want to continue breaking barriers. I want to challenge stereotypes. I want to advocate for greater diversity and representation. I aspire to inspire. I want it to be a welcoming environment for everybody.’
Her own early experience of the fashion industry involved a crash course in self-styling. ‘To this day, I still style my turbans. Nobody touches my headscarf.’ She’s grateful to the likes of Roitfeld, who allowed her to bring a suitcase full of her hijabs from home to set. ‘Now I want to work with other creatives to make the headpiece a part of the story, as opposed to just serving the purpose of covering my hair. That’s why I’m in fashion – to give other young modest, hijab-wearing women the chance to see it worn in different ways.’
As for other fashion advice, she’s the first to admit she’s still learning. ‘First of all, I cheat! I work with stylists who live, eat and breathe fashion. There’s so much work that goes into making those moments happen. I just get the fun part.’ But she does have a few party dressing words of wisdom. 1) ‘You can’t go wrong in black’; 2) ‘Always dress for the weather’ and 3) ‘Never outdress the birthday girl’. She also loves sequins and a good power suit. ‘But my golden rule is to always feel comfortable and true to myself in whatever I decide to wear. I prioritise modesty and respect my cultural values, but I still want to have fun with fashion. I think the joy of dressing up really lies in expressing yourself authentically.’
When I ask who she counts among her friends in the industry, she sings the praises of Ivan Bart, the former president of IMG Models, who – it was later announced – had sadly passed away in the days before our interview took place. ‘He’s a mentor and somebody who’s always supported me. Even with my decision to step away from the agency and quit modelling, he championed me. I think that says so much about his character that it wasn’t about business. That he truly cares – for me as a person, not just as his client.’
She’s inspired, too, by the rise in role models breaking new boundaries and making fashion a more diverse and inclusive place. ‘Women like Jillian Mercado, who uses a wheelchair and is giving a voice to women with disabilities; Maye Musk, who is 75 years young and proving that women don’t stop being beautiful with age; Ashley Graham, who is championing body diversity and showing the world that we are all beautiful regardless of our shape and size. I am incredibly honoured to share the runways with these women who are so inspiring in this conversation on beauty and womanhood. It’s truly a great time to be in the industry.’
But could the fashion world be doing more? ‘The answer is always yes,’ she says, ‘but if we continue down this trajectory, we will see lasting change. I was blessed enough to have been the first. But I’m not the last.’
Main image - Halima wears (left): Dress, £2,240, Rabanne; top, £355, Atsuko Kudo; 18ct rose gold and white diamond Move Iconica Pavé necklace, price on request,18ct white gold and white diamond Move Link hoop earrings, £14,600, and 18ct white gold and white diamond Glam’Azone double pavé ring, £6,700, all Messika (right): Jacket, £5,900, blouse, £1,100, and bow tie, £210, all Dior; 18ct white gold and white diamond Move Uno large hoop earrings, £5,740; 18ct white gold and white diamond My Twin Trilogy ring, £20,800 both Messika
Photographs: Danny Lowe
Fashion: Michelle Duguid. Make-up: Francesca Brazzo at the Wall Group. Hair: Frida Lbrahim-dikko Using Sam Mcknight, As I Am and Babyliss, Assisted by Sylvia Maria Banks. Nails: Robbie Tomkins at LMC Worldwide Using Bio Sculpture. Photographer’s Assistant: Felix Jonkler. Fashion Assistants: Gavi Weiss, Joey Yip. Fashion Intern: Jess Miller