"
"
In an interview with The Evening Standard, hijab fashion model Halima Aden said she wants to be a good role model for all Muslim women, including those who struggle to wear the hijab, and revealed more details about why she left the industry.
The Somali-American Muslim model had a successful modeling career before quitting last year because she felt it jeopardized her faith.
Aden has returned to the industry a year later, this time with Modanisa, a modest fashion brand.
Good role model for hijabis
Aden told the Evening Standard that she wanted to be “a good role model to my Somali community, refugee community, Muslim community, and even women who struggle with their hijab.”
“I’m starting to find a balance between the two worlds of not being so strict that I begin resenting my hijab but also not being too lenient that my hijab loses its meaning,” she added.
When a fashion magazine featured her on the cover and a “fully naked man” inside, Aden said she decided to leave the industry.
“I was just so disturbed, perplexed, and extremely offended that they thought it was acceptable to put a Muslim, hijab-wearing woman on the cover and then that on the very next page. I could have sent a copy to my family and that would have really you know… I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t do it.”
She also expressed her dissatisfaction with how other Muslim models were treated. Aden was allowed to change in a private area as part of her contract, but other hijabis were not treated with the same respect.
“They told the other Somali hijab-wearing model to go find a bathroom to change in if she didn’t want to use the public changing space. I was like ‘who is your agent? Who are you working for?’ This should have been taken care of before she even stepped foot into shoot.”
Returning to modest fashion
Aden is the first global brand ambassador for Modanisa, and she is launching a 46-piece jersey and chiffon hijab collection.
It’s her first business venture since leaving the fashion industry, and she wants other women to know that taking a break doesn’t mean you have to give up your career.
“That’s what I want girls to know – that I didn’t just give up and throw away my career, I took a break and set my boundaries clearer than ever and I know my worth,” said Aden.
“I feel like I’m not in the backseat of my career anymore, I’m steering the wheel, but none of this would have been possible if I hadn’t spoken up for myself and walked away. Sometimes walking away is exactly what people need to know their worth,” she added.
