Hijab-wearing model Halima Aden wants to break stereotypes!

Everyday we see more signs that the world is changing. Sometimes it isn't exactly for the better but sometimes we come across stories, or more importantly people, who are helping change narrow and negative stereotypes. One of them is Halima Aden. Some of you might not know her, but believe us, she's very close to becoming a household name.

Brave, opinionated, intelligent, witty and beautiful - Halima is a model on the brink of supermodel stardom and we can't wait for her to break more records. If you're anything like us and are curious to know more read on to find out some interesting facts on the world's next fashion icon.
History Maker
Halima, who is now represented by IMG, made history as the first contestant to wear a hijab and burkini during a pageant for the title as Miss Minnesota USA. Although she was a semi-finalist, Halima didn't win the title given the fact that technically a burkini isn't a bikini. But how brave of her to strut on the stage in that! We aren't the only ones who think so, Google Halima Aden and you'll find videos of her during the beauty pageant being cheered by the crowd for her choice to stay true to who she is.

Halima's Allure
This year, Halima made actual history by being Allure magazine's July cover girl. This is also a major moment in the history for other fashion and luxury publications aimed at women whose usual depiction of Muslim women are sometimes based on mainstream US media reporting. Halima isn't what the media is reporting. Yes, she wears a hijab but in her interview, she is honest and opinionated about perceptions of beauty and how she plans to challenge them!

Halima's words
Yes, Halima is beautiful and yes she changing how the world understands beauty and we love that. But we especially love that she has brains with valid and important thoughts and opinions making her a true role model as well as a fashion model. "I didn't really have modelling in mind," Halima told Business of Fashion.
"I wanted to spread a positive message about beauty and diversity, and to show other young Muslim women that there is room for them."

Halima owes her success to Kanye West
We aren't the only ones who think Halima is brave. She owes her success, in a way, to Kanye West. After the attention she garnered from the Miss Minnesota competition, it wasn't long before IMG signed her on and Kanye spotted her and decided to have her walk for his Yeezy Season 5 show in February. Say what we will about his clothes (completely basic) a Yeezy show is the place to be seen and noticed. And Halima did just that. She was booked (along with wearing her hijab) to Max Mara's and Alberta Ferretti's recent shows and then got her first major cover was for CR Fashion Book Issue 10 where she is seen again sporting a hijab.

Halima had a humble beginning
Unlike her contemporaries (Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid or Cara), Halima isn't the daughter of a celebrity, doesn't come from the wealthy upper class of society or started her modelling career on a reality TV show. Nope, in comparison, Halima is the new normal. She is a Somali-American immigrant who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp. Can you get more real than that? At the age of six she moved to the United States with her family, settling in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Halima was voted as her school prom homecoming queen which gave her the confidence to join the Miss Minnesota beauty pageant and things just snowballed from there.