Muslim Model Halima Aden Quits Fashion Industry For Religious Reasons

Halima Aden (Instagram @halima)

JAKARTA - Halima Aden, a Muslim model, ended her career as a model in the fashion industry. According to him, the fashion industry forced him to suppress his beliefs.

Through several Instagram Story uploads, Halima Aden tells of her journey in the fashion industry using the hijab.

Aden uploaded the first campaign he did with singer Rihanna for his cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty. “This is the first campaign I have done with @badgalriri. thanks. She even let me wear the hijab I brought to the set. ”

Then, he described the process of wearing the hijab from an early age where at that time in the United States, not many people wore the hijab.

Then he uploaded a campaign with American Eagle in which Aden wore a hijab in the form of jeans. "I had confirmed things like this. I think brands need people to wear the hijab. "

"But at that time I was so" depressed "for various" representations "that I lost myself." Halima Aden also uploaded himself wearing the jeans and was disappointed why he allowed the brand to treat him like that.

Halima Aden is the first hijaber model born in Somalia to walk the fashion week in Milan, New York, and so on. He has also appeared in magazines and in various brand campaigns.

He was born in a refugee camp in Kenya and moved to the United States at the age of 7. Halima Aden became the first Muslim homecoming queen at her school in Minnesota. Then he signed a contract with IMG Models in 2017 and started his career as a model.

Aden also shared how his mother always asked him to leave the industry. In the end, he realized that what his mother said was true.

"What I blame for the industry is the lack of MUSLIM stylists."