

Friday February 21, 2020





Halima Aden has challenged a host of stereotypes that come with the label supermodel. She was a refugee from Somalia’s civil war, is Muslim and follows a modest dress code.

She told Hardtalk's Stephen Sackur: "Modesty is not for one culture, it is not for one group of women. Modesty is the oldest fashion staple. It has been around since the beginning of time. It is going to be around for another 100 years. It's an option, just another option for people to participate in."

At 18, Halima became the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. She was spotted by one of New York’s top fashionistas and from then on her rise through the modelling ranks was rapid.

You can see the full Hardtalk interview on BBC iPlayer (UK only).