“Skin care is so much more important than makeup. Makeup is for when you’re having fun and going out. But your skin is forever.”
― Halima Aden
“For a really long time, I thought being different was a negative thing. But as I grew older, I started to realize we were all born to stand out; nobody is born to blend in.”
― Halima Aden
“Be who you are. It’s easy to feel like you have to blend in, but it takes courage to live your life with conviction and embrace the person that you are.”
― Halima Aden
“There’s always room to volunteer. I think that’s a huge space to be involved with.”
― Halima Aden
“I used to be so self-conscious about my braces that people thought I was shy – I just never talked. It took me a long time to realize, whatever, it’s not like I’ll have them forever, so I might as well enjoy it while I do!”
― Halima Aden
“To be honest, before I joined the industry, I knew very little about the fashion world, and I hardly knew any name brands. Probably because the price tags were a little too high, and home girl needed to work.”
― Halima Aden
“The hijab is a symbol that we wear on our heads, but I want people to know that it is my choice. I’m doing it because I want to do it. I wanted people to see that you could still be really cute and modest at the same time.”
― Halima Aden
“Always stay true to who you are – barriers can and will be broken!”
― Halima Aden
“I choose to focus on the positive.”
― Halima Aden
“If there’s one message I want people to take away is never compromise being your authentic self. Even if that means making others uncomfortable.”
― Halima Aden
“When I was younger, I didn’t have that type of person that I could look up to and be like, ‘OK, this is someone who dresses like me and I relate to.’ I didn’t have that growing up, so to give that opportunity to a younger generation of women – and not just Somali women, but anyone who feels different – that means a lot to me.”
― Halima Aden
“It’s always been hard trying to find the right pieces that go together, but it’s always been something that interests me – finding new ways to be fashionable and cute but still being modest.”
― Halima Aden
“I like shopping at retail places like JC Penney or Macy’s, and maybe buying a top or a shirt, and then buying a skirt from Rue 21 or Forever 21 because they have the maxi skirts, which I appreciate so much, and then topping it off with something that I buy from a Somali shop.”
― Halima Aden
“You don’t have to show a lot of skin to be beautiful.”
― Halima Aden
“I know I got to do something that’s one in a million, to escape a refugee camp, to come to this country and have so many doors open for me. So I want to go back and make a difference and give motivation or hope to all the kids that never got to leave or have the privilege that I did.”
― Halima Aden
“I feel like I’m here to bust those misconceptions and stereotypes of Muslim women.”
― Halima Aden
“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.”
― Halima Aden
“My favorite part of modeling is backstage. Every day you work with different people, and as much as people learn about my story, I get to learn about theirs.”
― Halima Aden
“For me, being able to say that my first-ever photo shoot was with one of the most well-known and iconic fashion photographers in the world is unbelievable.”
― Halima Aden
“A lot of people had a misconception that I would be the perfect poster child for Islam. So I got a lot of Instagram comments like, ‘Oh, you don’t have your neck covered, you’re not a Muslim!’ My thing is, stop judging women, especially if you’re a man, because you don’t know the responsibility that comes with wearing a hijab.”
― Halima Aden
“Back in high school, I didn’t ever see a Muslim homecoming king or queen – there was never even anyone nominated. It just seemed for a lot of those events, Muslim kids were not being included, and it was probably our fault too – no one was going for it, but no one was trying to push us to do it, you know?”
― Halima Aden
“I made a lot of mistakes growing up, trying so hard to fit in. I got so lost trying to please everybody.”
― Halima Aden
“I sleep with aloe vera on – it’s super moisturizing and good for the skin – and I’ll switch that up with honey, which I leave on for 10 minutes then wash off.”
― Halima Aden
“You don’t let being the first to do it stop you or get in the way.”
― Halima Aden
“I am Minnesotan.”
― Halima Aden
“I did notice growing up that there are so many things, obstacles and things, that people think you can’t do because you’re Muslim or because you’re wearing a hijab. You hear a lot of no’s. That was something that I wanted to see change.”
― Halima Aden
“I feel bad for my little cousins who don’t see themselves being represented, or the little girls in my community who won’t have a chance to see a Disney princess… who resembles them.”
― Halima Aden
“I haven’t received any pressure to be anything other than myself, and for that, I am so grateful.”
― Halima Aden
“When you have a lot of women in our state that do wear the hijab, we should be able to see that everywhere.”
― Halima Aden
“A lot of people will look at you and will fail to see your beauty because you’re covered up and they’re not used to it. So growing up, I just had to work on my people skills and give people a chance to really know me besides the clothing.”
― Halima Aden
“When people put labels on us, it doesn’t always enclose everything that we are. So even though I’m proud to be Somali, I’m proud to be American, at the end of the day, I’m still Halima, and I take things from both sides and combine them, and I make my own little category. I’m me!”
― Halima Aden
“If you think people are against you and that you’re a target, things will start appearing that way. I just go about my day, and I don’t think anyone is out to get me.”
― Halima Aden
“Every little girl looks up to her mom so much – that’s your first hero.”
― Halima Aden
“Society puts so much pressure on girls to look a certain way.”
― Halima Aden
“My mom and grandma, growing up, one thing they emphasized was that you need to make sure that anything you put on your skin is also digestible by the body. For example, if something isn’t safe for me to eat or consume, it’s probably not good for your face. So I do a lot of natural remedies.”
― Halima Aden
“Moisturizing every night is important. When you’re 50 or 60, it’s going to show if you don’t take care of it. You have to prepare when you’re young, so you still have that healthy, glowing skin when you’re 60 or 70.”
― Halima Aden
“Product-wise, I use a morning and night cleanser. I’m really not a brand person.”
― Halima Aden
“Being Somali, being Muslim, it’s always something I’ve been very proud of.”
― Halima Aden
“I say this all the time, but my hijab, it really is my crown, and it’s something that I bring to the table. It’s something that makes me unique. It shows the world who I truly am.”
― Halima Aden
“I feel like with anything you choose to do in this world, there are always gonna be people who disagree. But I’ve had a lot more supporters than critics.”
― Halima Aden
“A lot of people have the misconception that, as a Muslim woman, I am somehow against women wearing bikinis. No, I want women to feel comfortable and confident in whatever they wear.”
― Halima Aden
“My goal is to send a message to Muslim women and young women everywhere that it’s okay to break stereotypes and be yourself.”
― Halima Aden
“There are so many Muslim women that feel like they don’t fit society’s standard of beauty. I just wanted to tell them it’s OK to be different; being different is beautiful, too.”
― Halima Aden
“I truly believe diversity is beauty.”
― Halima Aden
“I am proud of being a Somali-American Muslim, and my wardrobe has been an important part of my religious and cultural upbringing.”
― Halima Aden
“Moving to the U.S. was an adjustment. I noticed that the kids played in groups. Back in Kakuma, everyone played together.”
― Halima Aden
“What I do is I always try to educate myself about my neighbors, about the people I meet.”
― Halima Aden
“We all have different things that make us strong and weak, but if we communicate and we really open ourselves and open our hearts, you’re going to be amazed by the things that you can learn.”
― Halima Aden
“America has always been a land of diversity, basically made up of immigrants, and that is something I want to see continued. It’s something I’m proud of when people think of America.”
― Halima Aden
“I know that for me, a lot of people will look at me and they’ll think ‘Somali’ or ‘outsider’ instead of ‘Minnesota.’”
― Halima Aden
“Sometimes I’ll go with a long hijab, or sometimes I’ll wear my scarf and go somewhat business-y with a blazer. Every day is something new.”
― Halima Aden
“People I looked up to a lot were, you know, Oprah because she had a rough childhood but overcame so many obstacles and broke barriers to become who she is. It was really eye opening to me: just because I had a rough childhood doesn’t mean that I can’t make something of myself.”
― Halima Aden
“What I have learned is that designers are willing to tell the world that they are here to empower women from all different backgrounds and different walks of life.”
― Halima Aden
“I love speaking at schools. That’s always my favorite because I wish I’d had someone who was like me come speak at my school.”
― Halima Aden
“I think to be Miss U.S.A., first of all, you need to represent everybody, all of us here.”
― Halima Aden
“The fashion industry really welcomed me with open arms and open hearts. They’ve been very accepting of my faith. I have strict wardrobe requirements, and that’s something they’ve upheld.”
― Halima Aden
“I don’t want to be taller; I want to be myself.”
― Halima Aden
“I want to go see Somalia because I’ve never been there, and I feel like I’m missing out. I want to learn that heritage; I want to learn about my culture.”
― Halima Aden
“I think it’s important to be diverse, and I hope we continue to see that as a trend in the fashion industry.”
― Halima Aden
“Shopping for hijabs has always been fun for me. I was so excited to begin wearing a headscarf. I had always looked up to my mother as she wore hers, and I was eager to emulate her beauty and the wonderful things she represented.”
― Halima Aden
“I feel best when I am modestly dressed. It’s a choice I make and am proud of; for me, I don’t think I have to show skin to be beautiful.”
― Halima Aden
“There is a misconception that young Muslim women are oppressed. That simply isn’t the case. I choose to dress modestly and choose to cover my hair with a hijab; not all Muslim women make that choice, and that’s okay. We are all different!”
― Halima Aden
“Diversity and inclusion are always something industries should strive for.”
― Halima Aden
“Having the chance to walk at New York Fashion Week for Yeezy and Milan Fashion Week for Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara in a hijab is so significant. It sends a message to young women everywhere that you can be beautiful for just being you.”
― Halima Aden
“I never grew up seeing women that looked like me in magazines or on TV and didn’t feel like I had a place in the world of fashion. I am honoured to be part of that change.”
― Halima Aden
“I thought for a very long time that I had to conform or maybe change the way I look, or maybe the hijab was dimming my beauty. I took a moment, and then I realized, you know what, there’s a lot of girls who do wear this, and this is their reality. It just made me even more prouder to wear it.”
― Halima Aden
“I think often the West does not understand the history and the privilege of wearing a hijab. They always think of oppression.”
― Halima Aden
“I remember, when I lived in a refugee camp, it was the people who weren’t Somali, the people who came from Western countries, who helped the most. I remember being six and thinking, ‘I want to be one of those women,’ because I knew how much they helped us.”
― Halima Aden
“When you’re a kid, to be honest, you could be in the worst situation ever, but you’re still going to have ways to enjoy it.”
― Halima Aden
“It’s important to remember all the millions of people that are starving.”
― Halima Aden
“I learned that when you stand up for what you believe in, you’ll get a lot of support. But there are always going to be negative things said about you.”
― Halima Aden
“There is not one description of beauty – that in fact it has different faces, different stories, and different background, and it’s important to embrace all of those.”
― Halima Aden
“When I was younger, I got bullied for wearing my hijab.”
― Halima Aden
“I’m covered up, but I’m still getting these comments that say I shouldn’t be. But the girls who wear the bikinis, they’re being told they’re too revealing! Enough. It’s their body, their choice.”
― Halima Aden
“I will stand up for a girl who is being harassed or bullied for choosing to wear revealing clothes. I will stand up for that!”
― Halima Aden
“Wearing modest clothing is a belief, and I’m not going to say that every Muslim woman is in my shoes, but the majority of us do have a choice.”
― Halima Aden
“How boring would this world be if everyone was the same?”
― Halima Aden
“I don’t just want to support only Muslim women. I want to inspire women across the board, and I’m hoping they won’t allow things to get in the way.”
― Halima Aden
“I want to show people there’s not just one way of being Muslim.”
― Halima Aden
“I love Somali foods like canjeero, a pancakelike bread; same for pizza, burgers, and sushi.”
― Halima Aden
“I want everyone to live to their full potential without having to fear someone will try to knock them down or discriminate against them.”
― Halima Aden
“I mix things from my Somali culture and my American side.”
― Halima Aden
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