Halima Aden, the first supermodel to dress a hiyab, broke the contracts with an industry that considers disrespectful and bets on the "modest fashion" destined for the Muslim.
For this American model of Somali origin, born in a refugee camp in Keny.
"Since this phrase was very small, you don't change, it changes the system’, it has allowed me to overcome many things, "he told AFP, passing through Istanbul.
"When I made the decision to leave everything, it was exactly what I did," he adds."And I feel very, very proud of it".
With her decision, the young woman, who turns 24 on Sunday, shook the world of fashion and influencers in November, who praised her audacity.
Halima Aden first appeared with Hiyab and Burkini (a swimsuit that covers the body) in 2016 during a beauty contest in Minnesota.
In 2019 he posed for the annual edition of Sports Illustrated in Burkini.At that time he was already famous.But as a person she felt worse and worse.
"They have always given me a private place to change myself, but most of the time I was the only one to have some intimacy".
"I saw my young colleagues who undressed in public, against media personalities, chefs, designers and assistants," he recalls."It was very shocking".
"I could not evolve in an industry where there is no minimum respect for people".
"Poison!"
Halima Aden felt released last year by announcing that he left the photo sessions and catwalks.
«I had never felt so relieved.Save everything to myself was like an authentic poison! ”He proclaimed on Instagram.
It seemed to him that some brands caricatured their traditions, radically different from those of most other models.American Eagle replaced his veil with Texan pants placed in his head in 2017.
"But ... that's not my style!" He protested that on Instagram."I had reached a point where I couldn't even recognize my hijab as I used it traditionally".
This week it seemed more comfortable in Istanbul, in an event organized by the Turkish brand Modanisa, for which it will prepare exclusive online collections.
The "modest fashion" industry was valued worldwide in 277.000 million dollars (236.000 million euros) in 2019.That is more than a tenth of the 2.2 billion dollars (1.8 billion euros) of the global fashion industry and has a large margin of growth, according to Dinarstandard, a specialized consulting cabinet in emerging emerging markets.
In fact, in recent years Moscow, Riad and London have organized parades of "modest fashion".
A booming trend
A very marked trend in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, in whose streets Halima Aden sees a great diversity.
"What I like most about Turkey, especially Istanbul is that women who do not wear hiyab are seen, right next to women who use it," he describes.
"In Istanbul you have a sample of the world," he added.
Modesta fashion has taken off during the last decade, due in part to models races like her.
Halima Aden, a young smiling, is convinced that this industry has the ability to resist in front of crisis such as coronavirus and the versatility of trends.
"Modesta fashion is taking off, it is one of the currents that takes hundreds of years and will continue to exist for another hundred years," he estimates.
Islam and fashion "are 100 percent compatible because there is nothing in our religion that prohibits being fashionable," he says.
Las marcas de lujo como DKNY y Dolce&Gabbana se han infiltrado en el nicho.
But Halima Aden sees it as a "symbol"."The fashion industry wants our money but does not support us in the problems we face".
"For me," he warns, "Fashion has to do more: you represent your Muslim clients, it is important to raise your voice when they face injustices," he said.
