Hijab-wearing model appears on the cover of top US magazine for first time

A woman of Somali origin made history as the first hijab-wearing model on the cover of the top American women’s beauty magazine Allure.

Halima Aden who is only 19-years-old, flaunted Nike’s high-performance hijab on the cover of the July issue with a caption that said “This Is American Beauty”.

In an interview to the magazine, Halima said, "I have much more to offer than my physical appearance, and a hijab protects me against ‘You’re too skinny,’ ‘You’re too thick,’ ‘Look at her hips,’ ‘Look at her thigh gap.’ I don’t have to worry about that.

“Every little girl looks up to her mom so much – that’s your first hero,” she added.

Halima Aden was born to Somali parents at a refugee camp in Kenya and made history in 2016 as the first hijab-wearing contestant in the Miss Minnesota Beauty Pageant.

Halima Aden is also a student at the St. Cloud State University and has signed to international model management firm IMG Models.