Will they accept me? Am I betraying my faith by being here?"
The questions pounded in Halima Aden's mind as she stood backstage at the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, her hijab meticulously arranged, her burkini unlike anything the competition had ever seen.
At 19, she wasn't merely preparing to walk across a stage; she was about to challenge an entire industry's definition of beauty.
That pivotal moment, Halima now reflects, crystallised her identity dilemma, especially how to navigate the delicate balance between honouring her Somali-Muslim heritage and carving space for herself in a world that rarely accommodated women like her.
"I didn't see anyone who looked like me in fashion or pageants," Halima tells TRT Afrika during a visit to Istanbul for NEXT, a TRT World Forum youth event. "But I realised: If I don't try, who will?"
This quiet determination catapulted her into history as the first hijab-wearing model signed to a major agency. Yet, the breakthrough came with an unexpected burden.
"People called me a ‘trailblazer’, but I felt the pressure of an entire community on my shoulders," she says. "Every choice I made – what I wore, the campaigns I took – wasn't just about me. It was about proving that Muslim women belong."
Polarising pioneer
Halima's ascent has ignited both passionate support and fierce criticism. Supermodel Naomi Campbell, a longtime champion of diversity in fashion, calls her "a revolutionary force".
"Halima didn't just open doors—she kicked them down," Campbell told Vogue. "She made the industry confront its biases. That's not modelling; that's activism."
Designer Tommy Hilfiger, who featured Halima in his 2018 Ramadan campaign, is just as effusive in his praise of her.
"She represents the future of fashion, one where beauty isn't defined by Western standards,” he says.
While some conservative voices accuse Halima of compromising her faith, she soldiers on.
"Modelling is about vanity, and the hijab is about modesty – they can't coexist," says Sheikh Omar Suleiman, a prominent Islamic scholar.
Power of representation
Even within fashion circles, Halima has had to contend with criticism and doubts about her ability to carve a sustainable niche in the glamour industry.
Elle magazine’s former editor, Nina Garcia, wonders whether brands use Halima as "a token” rather than a trendsetter. "The real test is if hijabi models keep working after the 'diversity trend' fades,” she says.
For Halima, visibility was never just about personal success.
"Being the first hijab-wearing model taught me that representation bridges worlds," she tells TRT Afrika.
"It's not just my story – it's the story of refugee girls, African sisters, and anyone told they don't fit the mould."
She recalls a moment at a New York Fashion Week casting when a designer hesitated at allowing her to retain her hijab.
"I walked out. That 'no' wasn't just for me but for every girl watching. But the next day, another brand said yes. And that 'yes'? That was for all of us,” explains Halima.
As a black child model featured on the packaging of a popular brand of hair straighteners sold in many parts of the world, Natalie has been on both sides of the hair divide.
Return to Africa
Growing up in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp before settling in the US, Halima knows what it feels like not to belong.
To young Africans wrestling with identity, her message is raw. "You are not alone. I have been there – too Somali for America, too American for Somalia. But your uniqueness is your power."
Through all this, her family remains her compass. "When I am lost, I ask, ‘What would my mother do?’ Our ancestors' wisdom is in our blood. Trust it," she says.
Mentioning Africa while asking about her plans is enough to light up Halima’s face.
"I hope to be back in Kenya, inshallah," she says. "Africa is a magical place. Lagos holds a special place in my heart, and Zambia too. But I want to explore new countries. I am manifesting that 2025 or 2026 will bring me back to Mother Africa.”
