19-year-old Halima Aden has had a huge year so far. In addition to getting signed to IMG and walking in the Yeezy Season 5 show earlier this year, Aden is now on the cover of Allure. This is the first time a woman wearing a hijab has been featured on the cover.
In her interview with the magazine for their American Beauty issue, Aden explains that her decision to wear her hijab is an interpretation of her religion, and that it frees her of certain expectations put upon women. “Society puts so much pressure on girls to look a certain way,” she says. “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.”
Read Aden's full interview over at Allure.