Halima Aden: From Kenyan Refugee Camp to Running Campaigns for Rihanna, Kanye West

Business
1

US Muslim fashion model, Halima Aden, is among the top personalities making it big abroad despite going through a tough life growing up.
Halima was born in Somalia before her parents were compelled to flee seeking refuge in Kenya. In the country, she found herself living in the Kakuma refuge camp for the better part of her early life. Her breakthrough in life came at the age of seven, where her family got an opportunity to move to the US.

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Model Halima Aden and Singer Rihanna

In the US, Halima’s star started shining bright. Her first shot to worldwide fame was at the age of 19 years when she was hailed the first supermodel to don a hijab.

She continued scaling the heights after she was chosen to run campaigns for Rihanna and Kanye West’s clothing labels. The Barbadian singer, Rihanna, owns Fenty while rapper Kanye owns Yeezy and now Donda.

https://www.kenyans.co.ke/files/styles/article_inner_mobile/public/images/media/Aden.jpg?itok=GMSeKqUC
US Model Halima Aden During Her Magazine Shoot

She impressively signed with IMG Models in February 2017, and that same month, she made her runway debut in Kanye West’s Yeezy show.

Halima, during her career, has modeled for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Alberta Ferreti, and Fenty, and has covered Vogue Arabia, CR Fashion Book, Allure, and British Vogue in a hijab. However, despite all the wins, Halima still has a long way to go. In her recent interview, she opened up about an industry where models are treated as ‘disposable’ and ‘replaceable’.
Halima narrated how her hijab appeared to shrink with every shoot as soon as she started being styled by stylists - to the point in which she was asked where her hijab was.

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Halima Aden Wearing Hijab During Her Cover Photography

“Despite me saying, ‘Don’t change yourself, change the game’, that was exactly what I was doing,” she narrated, adding how one magazine cover made her look like a ‘white man’s fetishised version’ of herself.

She added: “I’m not saying it’s not right for other Muslim, hijab-wearing women, I’m saying it was not right for me. I wear a hijab, I’m a Muslim, I’m Somali, so yes, all these identities set me up to be the perfect token to check all the boxes. I felt like one of the biggest tokens in the industry. I always felt like an outsider in my own career.”

She also recalled being compelled to compromise her religion in one of the modeling occasions which she rejected.

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A Somali woman raised within a good family is fiercely loyal, trustworthy, intelligent and very resourceful. The closest equivalent I can think of is Doug Stamper from house of cards. Always watching your back, always tidying up your mistakes and loose ends. Always reliable when called upon.

https://houseofcards.fandom.com/wiki/Doug_Stamper

Doug’s sense of identity is dependent on his role as Frank Underwood’s right-hand man. To preserve this, he will go to any lengths to serve and protect Frank. An example of this is when he offered to give up his liver for a transplant that Francis required whilst in hospital after being shot in season 4

3

I’ve already read about it.
It’s cool that an ordinary person with no connections and without any extra help was able to make a real personality out of himself, which really deserves enormous respect.
I think these are the kinds of stories that should be told in schools and set as real role models.
Of course, there is a certain amount of luck in this and the fact that the person has a certain talent.
On the other hand, almost all professionals say that success in any field is only 10% talent and the rest is a lot of work - difficult and daily - and I am sure she has faced a lot of challenges, but she has overcome them and been successful - it’s a delight!

4

It seems to me that these stories most often happen to people who have really been through a difficult time. They are the ones who are capable of not giving up and of following through when everyone else is ready to give up. And for some reason, it is usually such people who manage to maintain a normal good character and appreciate all that they have achieved. Maybe there can be exceptions to that, but most of the time it’s just that kind of plan and it’s incredibly inspiring because it proves that no matter what stage you start at, you can still achieve a positive result. It’s really cool and it’s something that can and should be published in the news to motivate others.

5

Hii ni coping tu. Most people who make it are disproportionately from well off backgrounds and these token success stories from refugees should not blind you to that fact.

6

:D:D Without these token stories biographers can’t sell books. Cope, I mean hope, springs eternal.