She made history last year by wearing a hijab and burkini in the hallowed pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Now she's back for round two.
Minnesota's Halima Aden, who was met with both criticism and praise following her SI debut, first appeared in the 2016 Miss Minnesota Pageant at 19-years old. The St. Cloud St. student, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, came to the U.S. at age six. She was the first woman to wear a hijab in that pageant where she finished as a semi-finalist.
She has since become a successful international model, despite her non-traditional way of modeling and contracts that require the hijab, and being covered nearly head-to-toe. She takes the modest way that Muslim women dress, and taken it to the top of the industry despite the obvious challenges. For a magazine not shy about showing a lot of skin all the way back to it's beginning in 1964, this was a departure from the norm.
Sports Illustrated has said about having Aden back, "Here at SI Swimsuit, we strive to continue to spread the message that whether you are wearing one-piece, a two-piece, or a burkini, you are the pilot of your own beauty. And that's why SI Swimsuit Editor MJ Day stands behind Halima, her religoius freedom, and her seemingly unconventional definition of beauty."
Sports Illustrated has a recent history of featuring non-traditional models and tackled various topics such as ageism, body image, plus-sized models, and the Me Too Movement. In 2019, the editors made a commitment to be more inclusive, and present models with many diverse backgrounds.
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