After making her runway debut at the Yeezy Fall 2017 ready-to-wear extravaganza, Somali-American model Halima Aden walked the second annual edition of Modanisa Modest Fashion Week in London. Touted as the first-ever hijabi-wearing model, the boundary breaking beauty opened for three shows during the first day of the weekend-long event. Aden later shared the stage with Muslim women from around the globe to share her story during the “Do What You Love – Inspiring Muslim Women” talk, moderated by Franka Soeria, the organizer of the annual fashion event.
The IMG model, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, made history in November by becoming the first hijab-wearing woman to compete in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. The 19-year-old also broke ground when she donned a burkini in the swimsuit category of the competition.
Heralded by many users on Twitter and Instagram as “revolutionary,” Modest Fashion Week, sponsored by Modanisa (a modest fashion and shopping site that also launched the successful Istanbul Modest Fashion Week), aims to give a platform to emerging as well as established fashion designers and brands.
Modest fashion is gaining global recognition. Dolce & Gabbana recently unveiled its second abaya collection, while Christian Siriano and Marchesa are crafting caftan collections specifically for modest shoppers. A separate edition of London Modest Fashion Week, hosted by Haute Elan, joined the London show calendar last February.
