Kenyan born, Somali-American model Halima Aden has made history once again by becoming the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit latest issue.
In 2016, Aden became the first contestant in Miss Minnesota USA to wear a hijab and burkini, ultimately reaching the pageant’s semi-finals.
Aden, who is Somali-American grew up in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp before moving to the US at age seven.
Her Sport Illustrated shoot took place in Kenya’s Watamu Beach.
Aden told Sports Illustrated “Growing up in the United States, I never really felt represented because I never could flip through a magazine and see a girl who was wearing a hijab,” she said in a behind-the-scenes video. “Don’t be afraid to be the first.”
