Halima Aden - Somalienne/Usa - 1m66 - 76/58/90
Agence
IMG
Allure Usa
Juillet 2017
Solve Sundsbo
Allure Usa
Juillet 2017
Solve Sundsbo
Halima Aden: "It's Powerful To Know You Can Dress Modestly & Be Beautiful" ?March? ?27?, ?2017, ?2?:?00? ?PM by Erin Cunningham "To be honest, I never really thought I had a place in the world of fashion," Halima Aden says. "I didn't grow up seeing women dressed like or who looked like me in magazines or on television or [on] advertising billboards." Yet, in just a few short months, the 19-year-old model has certainly found that place. In February, Aden became the first hijabi to be signed by IMG Models; in the subsequent weeks, she went on to cover the 10th edition of Carine Roitfeld's CR Fashion Book, make her runway debut for Kanye West's Yeezy Season 5, and walk for Max Mara and Alberta Ferretti in Milan. Social media went into a frenzy, similar to, say, the response H&M received for its size- (Ashley Graham), age- (Pat Cleveland, Amber Valetta), and gender- (Hari Nef, Andreja Pejic) inclusive presentation for fall 2016. The idea wasn't crazy or far-fetched: It was, however, outside the "norm." And though it's a bit funny to think that adding even a shred of diversity (a.k.a., 1-2 unconventional models) to a catwalk becomes global news, well, it's really just a reminder of how far the fashion industry has to go in terms of inclusivity. By the time Aden walked her first runway in New York City, however, she was already familiar with being the only hijab-wearing woman in the group. "I didn't know women who wore hijabs could be models," she said. "My first taste of the modeling world was competing in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant this past November. I entered the pageant because of the scholarships it provides young women, and the experience to step outside my comfort zone. "In addition to the interview [portion], I had to model on stage in the evening gown and swimwear competitions. Throughout the competition I wore my hijab, and for the swimwear portion, I wore a burkini, a modest swimsuit that covers the entire body except the face, hands, and feet," she explains, noting that her choice to not compromise her religious or cultural beliefs actually ended up getting her where she is today. "It was because of my participation in the pageant that doors began opening in the modeling world. I think it's important to be diverse and I hope we continue to see that as a trend in the fashion industry." Following the competition, Aden says, she was contacted by legendary editor Carine Roitfeld, an opportunity that would help put any young, aspiring model on the map. "[Roitfeld's team] reached out to the Miss Minnesota USA pageant organizers after the state pageant and invited me to come to New York City to shoot for CR Fashion Book's tenth issue," Aden reflects. "I had never been to New York, and having my first ever photo shoot be for such an esteemed stylist and fashion figure like Carine was wild. Not to mention, the photographer was Mario Sorrenti! The CR Fashion Book team has really taken me under their wing; they are like family." Though shooting with Sorrenti and working with Roitfeld were dreams come true, for Aden, it was truly "surreal" to be interviewed by Iman. "We were able to open up to one another on another level," she said. " We are both Somali-Americans and Muslim, but practice our faith differently; that is what I'm excited for the world to better understand as you often hear people say that wearing a hijab is a sign of oppression. It's not — I'm choosing to wear this and dress this way. And, I have nothing but love and respect for those who choose to dress differently than me." This strength, pushing herself to embrace her differences, rather than hide them, is something Aden has grown up with: Her parents fled Somalia in the '90s for a refugee camp in Kenya, called Kakuma, where she was born. "In our camp, there was a mixed population: Refugees from Somalia (where I'm from), Sudan, and Ethiopia came together to seek a better life," she says, reflecting on her time there. "I remember the constant conflicts that broke out in our camp — most of it was because people couldn't communicate, since so many were from different backgrounds. Eventually, Swahili, the main language in Kenya, became our common ground. "As children, we were oblivious to race and religion," she adds. "I made friends with the kids in the camp, and even started embracing some of their cultures. I celebrated holidays like Christmas, and even believed in Ajuk (the Turkana people’s God). The other kids would embrace my culture, too, sometimes even praying with me. We would blend all of our beliefs, forming our own unique, multicultural environment." When Aden moved to America at the age of six (first to Missouri, then to Minnesota), it was, unsurprisingly, not the easiest transition. "Back in Kakuma, all the kids played together," she said, noting how the children at her new school played in groups. "Gender didn’t matter, and one’s cultural background most certainly didn’t matter. And, I found myself secluded from the other kids due to a language barrier. I remember thinking Why don’t they understand Swahili? Swahili is the language that brings people together." But regardless of how challenging it was to live in, and learn to adapt to, a country and culture that's different from ones own, religion, and how it played a role not just in her upbringing, but in the way she dressed and presented herself, helped Aden feel comfortable embracing her own look, rather than conforming to others. "Shopping for hijabs has always been fun for me," she said. "I was so excited to begin wearing a headscarf. I had always looked up to my mother as she wore hers, and I was eager to emulate her beauty, and the wonderful things she represented. I feel best when I am modestly dressed. It's a choice I make and am proud of; for me, I don't think I have to show skin to be beautiful. There is a misconception that young Muslim women are oppressed. That simply isn't the case. I choose to dress modestly and choose to cover my hair with a hijab; not all Muslim women make that choice and that's okay. We are all different!" Despite its staccato-like tempo, the shift toward a more inclusive and representative runway arrives right on time, for what better time to protest the fragile ideas within and outside the fashion industry than when it's being challenged by the world's highest order? Whether she asked for it or not, Aden, like many other famous faces of diversity movements, serves as a poster-woman for a more progressive world — an industry that extends a seat to everyone, not just those who blend in. Her presence on (and off) the catwalk will hopefully act as the catalyst for casting directors and designers to continue including models of different backgrounds moving forward. "I am so incredibly grateful for all of the moments I experienced during Fashion Month, she says. "It's humbling to even think that I have more than one moment to choose from. Carine was styling the Yeezy show and thought it would be a great fit for me to make my runway debut, and when Carine Roitfeld thinks an idea in the fashion world is good, I'll take her word for it. [Laughs] I then had the chance to travel to Milan to walk for Max Mara and Alberta Ferretti. I loved meeting the other models and again getting the chance to see the one and only Gigi Hadid. I met Gigi on set at the CR Fashion Book shoot, and she instantly took me under her wing. She is such a superstar and yet so kind, caring, and willing to help. She gave me tips on my walk in Milan," she said. If you haven't seen her walk yet, her strut at the Alberta Ferretti show is a must-see. "It's important for me to show young women in my community and around the world that you don't have to change yourself or your beliefs to be successful in any avenue. Stay true to who you are and I think you will find that the key players in any industry and those who are out to do big things will have you back and support you every step of the way. Knowing that I have impacted and set an example for young women is what keeps me going." Aden harnesses her confidence through fashion and the power of dressing. Even though something as simple — and beautiful — as a hijab can spark unwanted looks and conversation, Aden considers the accessory, and her modest wardrobe in general, a small part of her wardrobe's DNA. "It's powerful to know you can dress modestly and be beautiful. As I have grown up not dressing the same as, nor practicing the same beliefs as, many of my peers, it has forced me to be more outgoing. I really make it my mission to make sure people around me get to know me before they pass judgment. I think they are quick to realize that I'm actually a lot like them. I like to do a lot of the same things that other 19-year old teenage girls do. I think most first meeting me think that I am going to be very reserved and quiet based on my modest attire, but really I'm actually quite funny and have a good sense of humor, if I do say so myself." Her confidence is something to take note of. Similar to other It girls on the scene today — who, these days, feel somewhat like model warriors than faces without names — Aden celebrates her unique qualities on social media (she's amassed over 114k followers on Instagram alone), which, in a way, makes her invincible. And it begs the question of, well, who wouldn't want to cast her? Her self-awareness, that stretches from where she's come from to the road that lies ahead, is the key to her success, and the foundation of how she dresses. (Think: an expansion to the rubric of that "model off-duty" trope.) In an industry that can often feel like one step forward and two steps back, Aden is intimidating in the best way — which, if you've followed the careers of any supermodel from the '90s to now, is key to making it big. Special thanks to Mondrian London.
HALIMA REDEFINES THE BEAUTY STANDARDS OF OUR ERA A ROLE MODEL FOR A NEW GENERATION BY RAY SIEGEL MAY 30, 2017 As the fashion industry works to widen the diversity gap, there’s no question that we wouldn’t be making much progress without the voices of those like hijab-wearing model Halima Aden, who went from Miss Minnesota U.S.A. pageant contestant to a standard-bearer for cultural inclusiveness in fashion and beauty. Since appearing on the cover of CR Fashion Book, she’s signed a contract with IMG models and has been on a world tour spreading awareness (and her innocent charm) to a whole generation of women who idolize her for her bravery. It’s important work for Halima who remembers what it felt like to grow up without seeing any public figures who looked like her. “One of my teachers told me to draw the Disney princess who I could most relate to, and there wasn’t one. It hit me at a young age—that made me question whether or not I was good enough. Each princess had a heroic story, but I didn’t have one. I took it very hard.” Alongside these photographs of Halima in brightly colored hijabs and coordinating makeup looks, she opens up about her own views on beauty as well as some issues that hit her close to home: how mainstream ideals affected her childhood, the problem of skin bleaching in her community, bowing in the face of discrimination, and memories of the country left behind when she entered the United States as an African refugee at age seven. WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF BEAUTY? “Being Somali and being African, beauty for us was always about the lighter skinned girls who were considered to be beautiful. I got a first taste of that when I was six. They used to say ‘Halima cadey.’ That word means light, but also sweet. I had lighter skin than my cousins, and because of that I was told that I was lucky.” WHAT ABOUT THE GIRLS WHO WEREN’T TOLD THAT THEY WERE LUCKY? “As I got older I saw that there were a lot of skin bleaching products in our market...in Asian and African communities. Because, unfortunately, lighter skin is what so many people deem to be beautiful. I know a lot of girls who have ruined their skin from using these products. You see that all the time—girls who go from looking nice, with a healthy, natural brown glow to this faded greyish color. Some of those products have Mercury in them. They are banned in the U.S. but people are still selling them. God made you a certain way, so your skin color and features go well together. Something looks off. And it makes their skin so sensitive that they can’t go out in the sun or even cook because their skin can’t handle the heat. What is so wrong with being black?” IS THERE ANYTHING BEING DONE TO HELP THESE YOUNG WOMEN? “I tried talking to my teacher in 9th grade. I asked if we could talk about skin bleaching in my community. We talk about the ads against tanning and we hear warnings about that all of the time. There are all of these regulations to protect women against the harm there, so why aren’t people talking about skin bleaching? Because it’s happening in minority communities?” WHO DO YOU THINK IS TO BLAME FOR ALL OF THIS? “Society, media, and the all of the images of blond hair and blue eyes. Everyone is trying to reach that. It’s also family. I could have grown up like the girls I knew who hated their own skin. My mom and my family were celebrated, and they were dark.” DID YOU HAVE STRONG FEMALE ROLE MODELS WHO STEERED YOU TOWARDS A BETTER PERSPECTIVE? “I did, but at the same time, my mother never made any excuses. Sometimes we didn’t have food, but we’d get by. I understood that mentality from an early age. If you’re constantly feeling bad for yourself and blaming others, it drags you down. I didn’t choose any of these things—the civil war in Somalia or for my family to flee the country. For her, it was like, you have to keep moving.” WHICH IDEALS OF BEAUTY DID YOUR MOTHER PASS ON TO YOU? “For her, beauty is so unnecessary. My mom didn’t want me to get caught up with looks. She thinks that a bare face is the most beautiful that you can be. I started to use lipstick when I was 14. She would say, ‘it’s so unnatural.’ I told her, ‘it looks girly’ and ‘all of my friends do it.’ My mom told me that I should be worrying about school. Eye shadow was a big “no no” at my house, so I would wipe it off before I came home. Even now, she’s against me threading or waxing my eyebrows.” SO HOW DOES SHE FEEL ABOUT YOUR NEW POSITION IN THIS INDUSTRY? “She is against it. It’s so sad because we see things differently. I feel like I’m empowering women. I didn’t have any public figures to look up to.” COMPANIES ARE JUST NOW WAKING UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE’S A MARKET FOR IT. “There is a market for it. I didn’t have the kind of childhood that involved toys, so it forced us to bond with each other. When I came to America, I wanted to collect dolls. It’s so diverse—they even have pilgrims with bonnets—but the one doll that’s still missing is the doll that has a hijab. What about those little girls? We grew up feeling that it was wrong and that if we didn’t have our hair covered it meant we weren’t pretty enough.” GROWING UP AS A MINORITY IN MINNESOTA, DID YOU EXPERIENCE DIRECT DISCRIMINATION? “The taunting started in middle school. They’d say that I have no hair. That pressured me to show them my hair. I still feel so bad that I stooped to that level instead of having confidence.” WHY DO YOU THINK RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IS SUCH A PROBLEM HERE IN AMERICA? “The population started booming and it became mixed really fast. People weren’t expecting it. It’s not just an American problem. It’s a problem all over the world. The first time that I was introduced to a white person in Africa, it was very positive. When I saw a white person, I thought, how different is that! Every time she came, she delivered good news and everyone was so happy to see her. It’s very different from African Americans here who were exposed to slavery. I think that most people are being introduced to Muslims on the news hear and see only the worst things. It’s not an excuse to be racist or prejudiced but, at the same time, I understand where that fear is coming from.” WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THE RECENT U.S. ELECTION HAS HAD ON THESE ISSUES? “I’m actually thankful for this election. I’m obviously not a Trump supporter but, before this, people didn’t bother to learn about Muslims. Now I’ve seen so many people come together. And so many protests are happening where a majority of the crowds have been non-Muslims. I hear so many comments about Americans being anti-Muslim, but I see the Americans that are hosting refugee dinners. People are reaching out to refugee communities and being more understanding. American principals really are built upon diversity.” WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED IN AMERICA AFTER HAVING TO FLEE YOUR HOME? “People who are coming here don’t come here because they want to. It’s a last resort. I had no idea what to expect when I left. It’s uncertainty. There’s a language barrier and people don’t understand you.” DO YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO GO BACK TO AFRICA? "I would want to see Somalia because I’ve never been there, but I don’t know if that will be possible. There’s not that many airlines that fly to Somalia and there are parts that really aren’t that safe. Culturally, there’s a lot of things we don’t see eye-to-eye on. I don’t know what will happen to our kids’ generation. I hope we don’t completely forget about Somali culture. It’s something to think about.” HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR GENERATION IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR PARENTS? “Their generation is a lot harder than us. They saw so much trauma and horrible things. They adjusted to the life of not knowing what will happen next. We never grew up with a lot of babying. If I had fallen, they told me to get up. I see kids who yell at their parents or disrespect their teachers. I was taught that a teacher was a second parent. I’d get whooped just for rolling my eyes.” WHAT ELSE DO YOU RECALL ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD? “People think I had a terrible childhood. I see my cousins watching other kids play on Youtube instead of going outside to play themselves. There should be more to childhood than sitting and watching a screen. Our parents forced us out of the house. The poorest people tend to be the happiest. The less physical things you have, the more friendship and bonding you have. We made toys out of everything. We found ways to be children and to have fun and get our minds off of whatever our reality was.” Photographs Felix Kim, Fashion Ben Perreira, Makeup Grace Ahn
près la mixité sur les podiums ou encore les mannequins grande taille, c’est maintenant un top voilé qui a fait ses débuts lors de la Fashion Week de New York. Halima Aden, un fille américano-somalienne, vient en effet de signer son contrat avec l’agence IMG, qui représente déjà Gigi Hadid ou Karlie Kloss. Et l’on peut dire que la carrière de la jeune femme est lancée de la meilleure des manières. C’est lors de la présentation de Yeezy Season 5 qu'elle a défilé pour la première fois. Avec son hijab qu’elle porte fièrement, Halima Aden a fait sensation. Qui est-elle ? Découverte à l'occasion du concours de Miss USA, la jeune femme avait fait le buzz lors de l’élection de Miss Minnesota en défilant en hijab et burkini devant les juges en attirant l’attention de manière signifiante. Et c’est suite à cet événement que l’agence IMG s’est intéressée à elle. Le mannequinat n'était pas une option Agée de 19 ans, elle a grandi dans un camp de réfugiés au Kenya et assure à Business of Fashion que "le plus beau jour de sa vie était celui où elle est enfin devenue une citoyenne américaine." Elle a ensuite eu une scolarité à l’image de n’importe quelle ado américaine, enchaînant les bonnes notes et prenant part au bal de fin d’année. Cela dit, Halima est très honorée de pouvoir représenter les femmes islamiques dans la mode. "Je veux véhiculer un message positif sur la beauté et la diversité. Et montrer aux autres jeunes femmes musulmanes qu’il y a de la place pour elles" a déclaré Halima à Business of Fashion. Message entendu par Kanye West et IMG.
1. Elle a grandi dans un camp de réfugiés au Kenya. D'origine somalienne, Halima Aden a grandi dans un camp de réfugiés au Kenya jusqu'à ses six ans. Elle s'envole ensuite aux État-Unis où elle poursuit une scolarité tout à fait normale. Pour la jeune femme , "le plus beau jour de sa vie était celui où elle est enfin devenue une citoyenne américaine", avait-t-elle témoigné à Business of Fashion. 2. La jeune femme est totalement bilingue. Citoyenne américaine depuis ses 13 ans donc, elle est très douée à l'école et enchaîne les bonnes notes. Le mannequin est actuellement totalement bilingue et parle parfaitement l'Anglais et le Somalien, deux langues qui n'ont rien à voir. 3. C'est la première candidate Miss USA à défiler en hidjab et en burkini. À 19 ans, elle fait sa première apparition lors de l'élection de Miss Minnesota aux États-Unis et fait sensation ! Elle devient en effet la première la première candidate Miss USA à défiler voilée et même en burkini. 4. Le mannequin a un contrat avec la même agence que Gigi Hadid : Suite à cette prestation, elle a réussi à taper dans l'œil d'une grande agence de mannequinat. Et signe un contrat avec l'agence IMG, devenant ainsi leur premier mannequin voilé. "Nous verrons comment l'industrie va réagir à Halima, en essayant de travailler avec ces restrictions, ou pas. [...] Cela ne change rien au fait que nous voulons qu'elle fasse partie de l'équipe", avait affirmé Ivan Bart, le président d'IMG. 5. Halima Aden souhaite combattre l'islamophobie à travers la mode. C'est à travers son domaine de prédilection que la jeune femme veut changer la manière dont le monde voit l'islam, en transmettant une vision positive de la religion."Je veux véhiculer un message positif sur la beauté et la diversité. Et montrer aux autres jeunes femmes musulmanes qu'il y a de la place pour elles", avait confié la jeune femme toujours à Business of Fashion. Remettant ainsi en cause les critères de beauté occidentale. Tout laisse à penser qu'on n'a pas fini d'entendre parler du mannequin... En attendant on peut toujours prendre des nouvelles d'elle, sur son compte Instagram...
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