Somali American fashion model, Halima Aden noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semi-finalist, and who was also one of three black hijabi models featured on the cover of Vogue Arabia — the magazine’s first group hijabi cover — alongside Ikram Abdi Omar and Amina Adan, has once again broken the record to become the first woman to be featured in “Sports Illustrated”, swimsuit issue wearing an hijab and a burkini.
Here are some lessons to take home from this feat.
Don’t Be Afraid to be the first to do anything
At her Sports Illustrated shoot, Halima says: “Growing up in the United States, I never really felt represented because I never could flip through a magazine and see a girl who was wearing a hijab,” she said in a behind-the-scenes video. “Don’t be afraid to be the first.”
Stay True to Yourself
Staying true to who you are never goes out of fashion. Question is, who else do you want to be if not you? Everyone else is taken! When you’re you, you find fulfilment in your actions and achievements and can chanel your energy to be whatever you want to be.
Stand For what You Believe In & own your voice
We can’t stress this enough, you have to be confident enough to push out that thought you think is silly! That idea you feel they won’t accept, that dream you assume won’t see the light of day. Scared? Do it! In the end you learn, knowing you were confident enough to see it through. Nothing moves if hidden, so own that voice no matter how ridiculous you think it sounds.
Halima’s inclusion on Sports Illustrated is a needed breath of fresh air. We especially love that she continues to shatter fashion boundaries, especially for muslim women and young girls who want to model whilst being modest with their apparels.
