For the first time in history, three black Hijabi models were featured on the cover of Vogue Arabia, the April issue. Models Halima Aden, Ikram Abdi Omar, and Amina Adan were photographed by Txema Yeste and styled by Vogue Arabia fashion director, Katie Trotter, with a focus on shattering stereotypes associated with modest fashion and Muslim women.
This is the first cover for Abdi Omar and Amina Adan, and Halima Aden’s second since she was featured on the cover of the magazine’s June 2017 issue. In the Vogue Arabia article that accompanies the cover story, Aden said, “I think it’s important to remember that wearing a hijab is a woman’s personal choice. It doesn’t make her any better or worse than another Muslim woman. To me, it symbolizes modesty and gives me a sense of power.”
They spoke about their experiences as young Muslim women and the discrimination that comes with that identity. Adan, who is the first Hijabi model signed to a Danish agency, said, “Most people are afraid to ask questions and have a conversation about it, even if they are genuinely curious. All they know about Muslim people stems from the news or videos on the Internet about women not having the same rights as men.”
The effort to better represent Muslim women is not lost on fashion fans around the world, and many had a lot to say about the cover and its significance. Gigi Hadid praised the cover on Twitter, saying, “Vogue Arabia is really out there showing people how it’s done.” Another Twitter user said, “Somali girls singlehandedly putting Vogue Arabia on the map the power and international implications!!!” On Instagram people were posting and praising the cover, too. One user posted “Happy #MuslimWomen’s Day! Today We celebrate with the historic all-hijabi/Somali women Vogue Arabia Cover!” Another user posted the photo of the cover with the caption, “Use the power of fashion and magazines to make society more inclusive.”
This year it seems fashion's attempts at more representation and inclusion are picking up pace.
