Hijab-wearing model Halima Aden quits fashion over religious views

Halima Aden became the first hijab-wearing model on the runways of Milan and New York, and has appeared on numerous magazine covers and in print campaigns. Photo: AP

Somali-American model Halima Aden has announced that she is taking a step back from the fashion industry, saying the pandemic slowdown has allowed her to see instances when her desire to maintain a hijab was not properly respected.

In a detailed Instagram story, Aden wrote this week that she was "not rushing back to the fashion industry” and that she had finally heard her mother’s pleas "to open my eyes”.