Halima Aden: 'Why I Quit Modelling'

[nejtak]

The photoshoot is not the only thing Halima is excited about. She has just finished executive-producing a film inspired by the true story of a refugee fleeing war and violence in Afghanistan. I Am You is due to be released on Apple TV in March.

"We're anxiously waiting to see if we've been nominated for an Oscar!" she says.

Yes, do quit the modelling industry because it is in conflict with your religious believes and enter the film industry. "My movie that paved the way for everyone was nominated for an Oscar but they had the audacity to also nominated a movie in which Michael Fassbender's penis could be seen. Why would they think this was acceptable?"

 

[MulletProof]

but they had the audacity to also nominated a movie in which Michael Fassbender's penis could be seen. Why would they think this was acceptable?"

As someone raised very Catholic and on behalf of those still in INRI's fan club, I'm a little offended this double-standard, double-faced, hypocritically remorseful, thankless, second-guessing and tormented-for-no-reason conduct is being attributed to Islam. Dream on, Halima! not on my watch! . This shall remain our specialty!. The amount of people (men and women) I crossed paths with at church when we were kids, who weren't even fronting a Watson cover but rocking that sad early 00s onlyfans lifestyle offering snacks in tragic see-through white short shorts outside breweries or bars at age 18, paid to do that but also to jump so everything would bounce and more customers would stop by, plus paid to be 'nicer' to 40 year-olds.. only to reach 30 and end up dressing like Prince William and Catherine, down vest and all, talking about family traditions, the 'right' values, preserving freedom lol and.. do you understand freedom slightly differently? ok so sorry, but we'll have to ostracize you for life! we'll pray for you though!

 

[San Marco]

The fashion industry clashed with her muslim faith?

Or vice versa

And now all of a sudden....after all these years working there ... the breakthrough.
After all the covers, campaigns, runway-walks.. I think it is pretty clear what you are allowed if you are following your faith strictly. So it’s a bit suprising that she could not conclude in advance that her religion and the fashion industry were in conflict. So she had to do all those jobs and understand through practice that her faith and work are in conflict.

Reading the article, one gets the impression that she entered completely naively, not knowing what exactly she was expecting there, as if she had never had the opportunity to see what was on the pages of fashion magazines before . And why didn’t she quit in 2019 when this King Kong shoot just happened.

Most possibly she was aware of what to expect in the magazines , as well as the very conflict between her faith and the fashion industry from the very beginning (if there was such a big conflict at all). As a great believer, I guess she must have known that. If she really wanted to avoid a conflict between the two categories, the options were pretty clear to her from the start. If faith was her priority, then she shouldn’t have entered the industry at all, which conflicts with her beliefs. But it would also mean giving up good money, prestige, admiration, etc. I guess 2020 was the year when many models lost their jobs and simply stopped doing that business. I wouldn't be surprised if interest in her dropped as well. It would not be surprising if this was the worst year for her in terms of work, but then it is surprising that this year (or last year) she realized that the fashion industry is in conflict with her faith, just when she was least in contact with the fashion industry.
And now, of course follows the reorientation into one of the more profitable jobs of the past decade — the victim role.

 

[twilightsafari]

Can't stand it when people are so egotistical that they think the entire world should conform to their personal values. The fashion industry has polar opposite values to those that characterise traditional Islam, which could have hardly been a shock to her. If her principles were so strong she should have avoided modelling from the beginning, not used it to forward her career and complained about it later. Hypocrisy in the extreme.

 

[Conbothsides]

"There are girls who wanted to die for a modelling contract," she says, "but I was ready to walk away if it wasn't accepted."

I guess she should've known at this moment that modeling isn't her thing and chose another career? That would've saved some minutes of our lives from reading this stupid article. And did she have any ideas at all what King Kong magazine is? Then rant about it after having appeared on the COVER! How unprofessional. Also, what's wrong with a naked man? Maybe she has no idea she's breathing the same air with a lot of people who don't share her views on this earth. Grow up.

 

[Srdjan]

Here's a post by Diet Prada about Halima from a while back:

On one hand, I understand Halima's frustration with the hypocrisy of the industry and brands for trying to fit her in their own visions (or agendas) of diversity and wokeness, instead of fully respecting her image and lifestyle. But then again, don't sh*t where you eat (or ate that is). You were not forced to do all these gigs - it was your choice at a time, so why ranting about it now that it's over?

Still, apart from that, I respect her decision to leave and live by a faith. It's admirable in the nowadays world.

 

[aracic]

Someone clearly didn't understand their job description... Halima, honey, noone is booking you to express your style. Not on runways, not in editorials. There are paid professionals whose job is to style you in a way they see fit for whatever job you are doing. I mean obviously, whoever put those jeans over her head made some questionable choices but this entire drama about her faith being repressed or whatever is just stupid. It's high fashion! If you want to be yourself, then go do something else. Hijab this, hijab that - just stop. If you're so keen on being a model, just book some hijab catalogues and stop being annoying. Diet Prada as usual, sucking up to the masses trying to revolutionise the world

It wasn't bothering her when those big paychecks kept pouring in, but now she's suddenly all high and mighty and it's everyone else's fault that her chest wasn't covered. Please! If you had enough power to make IMG fix your contract to your will as much as you claim, then you had power to say no to whatever made you uncomfortable.

 

[Benn98]

What's with this trend where millennials, especially those on the younger age spectrum, always have these messy work exits, purposely burning every bridge because 'I have to speak my truth'? Maybe the reason why older millennials are so cautious is because we entered the workforce after the 2000s, when there was both a war and a massive recession happening at the same time. Actually, Halima is ruining these business relationships and connections right in the middle of a pandemic where nothing is certain.
Imagine how the people must feel who stuck their neck out for her, who pushed for her from the start. Carine, Kors, the EIC of Vogue Arabia....
Take Kors for instance who none of us on here respect but is actually a really nice guy. He used to be a big supporter of hers and is involved with a lot of charity work. Didn't the thought cross her mind that a contact like Kors could be useful for her next venture?
And one thing that people don't seem to realise is that the faces we post about on here and the ones who models meet at parties are not the ones who hold the purse strings, the suits. How does she know that the shareholder of King Kong magazine isn't the same person she'll eventually have to reach out to for funding her next film, or sitting on the board of some awards show who will vet her work? Fashion is so heavily connected to other industries, especially now when it's all about big business.

This rant was short-sighted and self-destructing and will come back to bite her.

 

[Cory333]

I was reading this on CNN yesterday, it's getting a lot of publicity. To start with, I agree that all models should be treated with more respect, regardless of faith. However...


Cringeworthy to start with, I have so many issues with this interview, primarily because she is making it harder for all those girls who want to pursue their own model careers, by validating those around them who think this is something wrong and sinful.


Those in the industry actually tried to support her in her religious requirements, only for her to turn her back on them. On top of it, doing this after years of cashing in. It is either dumb, or hypocritical.

It is not like it is difficult to see what modelling is about right from the start, like others pointed out, this was a total misunderstanding of the job description.


I can’t help thinking that she is doing some kind of atonement, after being back with family during covid. If she had such an issue with it, she should’ve just walked away.


The UNICEF part I can understand that she spoke out about, and based on friends’ accounts who work there, partly true. There are still tons of people there who try to do the best they can.


“So there was a problem when Halima became her high school's first hijab-wearing homecoming queen (an honour bestowed on the school's most popular students).” – Most of us would have killed for such an in inclusive high-school experience….


“As demand for her in the fashion industry grew, she spent less time with her family and would be away from home on Muslim religious festivals." – and so the pressure from home intensifies.

I could go on..

 

[russianelf]

Seems to me she just grew stronger and stricter in her faith in the last year, denouncing all the 'liberties' she took before. It's her choice. But I don't think the industry is to blame in this case.

Interesting to see how others in the industry respond to this...

 

[Benn98]

^They can't say anything but clap hands and drop heart emojis because anything faintly critical will be chalked down as Islamophobic.

Cringeworthy to start with, I have so many issues with this interview, primarily because she is making it harder for all those girls who want to pursue their own model careers, by validating those around them who think this is something wrong and sinful..

That's what I meant as well. I remember Ugbad said this during an interview I think 2 years ago in i-D and it went over my head because I couldn't imagine what 'pressure' she referred to. She wears the headscarf and doesn't appear in provocative shoots, so what could she be doing wrong?:

'I’m definitely leaving behind people’s expectations and the pressure they put on me. People expect me to never make mistakes and to be a perfect representative for the hijabi community, and that’s never really the case. But I try to do the best I can, and keep doing my thing.'

The problem with this hijab conversation especially in fashion is that clearly it's not just about the actual scarf. Because we now know nobody can touch or style it (I honestly never knew this.) So how should fashion incorporate it if they want to be inclusive and reach out to a Muslim audience? Style it on a non-Muslim model and it's wrong, style it on a Muslim model and it's also wrong. What's the solution here?

 

[Phuel]

^^^ There are Muslim women who reject a piece of cloth to define who they are. Cast them.

You know, just when we’ve come to the point where Judeo-Christian beliefs have generally progressed to be tolerant/accepting/respectful of others (unless it’s that church that good ‘ol boy Chris Pratt is so devoted to…), it’s replaced by the conservatism of another Faith LOL …Just when you think that poisonous viper’s head is cut off— another one sprouts in its place…

My friend told me that it’s the younger generation of Muslims that are becoming extremely conservative and Quran-thumpers, while the older generation (he’s in his 30s) are the ones that are becoming more open-minded and progressive. I get the impression this younger generation feel extremely entitled— and enabled to boot, by a society that’s too polite/timid to criticize their judgemental conservatism for fear of being labeled Islamophobic/racist/xenophobic. Irony is of course, they’re behaving and judging the exact way that once-dominant Bible-thumpers would have behaved and judged Muslims.

 

[cheapthrills]

I am not sure what other outcome anyone could have expected with the intersection of an extremely conservative religious group and a highly liberal creative industry. Hijabi Muslims, all things considered, are extremely conservative. Everyone seems shocked when the ultra conservative play things of liberals speak this way, but are you really shocked? I’m sorry, but I’m not seeing how her attitude now is at all surprising.

 

[Benn98]

^^^ There are Muslim women who reject a piece of cloth to define who they are. Cast them.

But they, like Halima and Ugbad, would end up getting a lot of flak from the staunch Muslims. I'm actually surprised to see Ugbad showing her hairline on IG because I thought that's not allowed.

To some degree, I agree with Cheapthrills. Looking at it now and how conservative this religion is, this was never going to work. But I wish Halima aired all these grievances while she was still active in the industry instead of giving everyone the impression that she integrated. Because for some time the hijab models made a lot of progress and she even went on to be included in the Sport's Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and appeared on a UK Vogue cover.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ There are many Muslim women who reject the hijab and still identify as Muslim. It’s this silly “diversity and inclusivity” gimmick that has to push a highly-religious hijab-wearing individual on high fashion presentation. Some groups simply don’t need nor want to be included.

But this begs the question why is/are ultra-conservative Islam/Muslim so supported and enabled by a liberal, progressive mentality? Especially one of a community that is by all definition, the epitome of sin to these ultra-conservative types? Would anyone from any ultra-conservative Judaeo-Christian denominations be so supported and enabled in the manner that someone like her would be? Of course not: A Christian with such bigoted, religious views would be told off. Muslim women have been doing fine in fashion for themselves without the need for a hijab-wearing representative. There aren’t any visible Christian, Buddhist and Hindu representation on the covers/runways, so why is a hijab-wearing Muslim so extra? I wouldn’t necessarily put the hate on Halima, the idiots that enable and support her (all the while she likely is condemning them all to hell under her breath LOL) are to be blamed. Self-righteous and sanctimonious people— especially those armed with religion, are never going to accept anyone who’s not exactly like them, so the idiots that supported her are deserving of her harsh judgement.

 

[Benn98]

^^^ There are many Muslim women who reject the hijab and still identify as Muslim. It’s this silly “diversity and inclusivity” gimmick that has to push a highly-religious hijab-wearing individual on high fashion presentation. Some groups simply don’t need nor want to be included.

But this begs the question why is/are ultra-conservative Islam/Muslim so supported and enabled by a liberal, progressive mentality? Especially one of a community that is by all definition, the epitome of sin to these ultra-conservative types? Would anyone from any ultra-conservative Judaeo-Christian denominations be so supported and enabled in the manner that someone like her would be? Of course not: A Christian with such bigoted, religious views would be told off. Muslim women have been doing fine in fashion for themselves without the need for a hijab-wearing representative. There aren’t any visible Christian, Buddhist and Hindu representation on the covers/runways, so why is a hijab-wearing Muslim so extra? I wouldn’t necessarily put the hate on Halima, the idiots that enable and support her (all the while she likely is condemning them all to hell under her breath LOL) are to be blamed. Self-righteous and sanctimonious people— especially those armed with religion, are never going to accept anyone who’s not exactly like them, so the idiots that supported her are deserving of her harsh judgement.

Well, I think the hijab models in fashion is an entirely different situation because they came at a time when we had to deal with the refugee crisis in Europe and the intolerance that went along with that. So their inclusion was a political statement and I think, I hope, it helped normalise relations between Westerners and hijab-wearing Muslims. So that was really unique not quite similar to say Christians, Hindu's, Buddhists etc and in the end I think it was necessary.
It was necessary because at the same time it also acknowledged a silent demographic of HF consumers from the Middle East who contribute a lot to the fashion ecosystem.

I don't blame those who supported Halima. Nobody would think to blame Carine if Kate Upton would make insensitive comments or go off the rails. So why should she be blamed for building Halima Aden's career? Carine and Kors are not the ungrateful ones here, Halima is.

As for visible Christians in fashion, well, there's always Hailey Bieber, lol. And I believe Christy follows either Buddhism or Hinduism, sure you can correct me here.

 

[cheapthrills]

I kind of get the impression that Ugbad doesn’t actually want to wear the hijab anymore. It could just be my own over analysis, but it would be kind of daunting on two levels for her to remove it. One, because of the flack by other muslims and two, because it is what she is known for in the fashion industry - since it is really what makes her “special” in a lot of ways. So, without the hijab there could be a fear that she wouldn’t book jobs anymore and also a fear about how other Muslims would react.

 

[Phuel]

Well, I think the hijab models in fashion is an entirely different situation because they came at a time when we had to deal with the refugee crisis in Europe and the intolerance that went along with that. So their inclusion was a political statement and I think, I hope, it helped normalise relations between Westerners and hijab-wearing Muslims. So that was really unique not quite similar to say Christians, Hindu's, Buddhists etc and in the end I think it was necessary.
It was necessary because at the same time it also acknowledged a silent demographic of HF consumers from the Middle East who contribute a lot to the fashion ecosystem.

I don't blame those who supported Halima. Nobody would think to blame Carine if Kate Upton would make insensitive comments or go off the rails. So why should she be blamed for building Halima Aden's career? Carine and Kors are not the ungrateful ones here, Halima is.

As for visible Christians in fashion, well, there's always Hailey Bieber, lol. And I believe Christy follows either Buddhism or Hinduism, sure you can correct me here.

Yes, there have and will always be religious-identifying individuals in the industry. However, they’re not flaunting their religion as this moral-barometer of which all others must abide by the way Halima seems to have. Yasmeen Ghauri was Muslim when she worked in the industry— but she wasn’t finger-wagging at all the sinners for not living up/by her religious standards.

I get that it was a generous (but highly naive-- even White Knighting gesture) gesture to be inclusive of hijab-wearing representation in fashion. But once again, the ultra-rich ME fashion clientele never demanded it. It’s the commoners of the West that are consistently bellyaching for representation to the point where it’s come back to bite them in the ****. And I’ll stand by my POV that they deserve it.

 

[cestmagique]

Halima sounds like an arrogant brat. She's so principled that she sought out the fashion world on her own, participated in shoots that she had a contractual out for, worked with Unicef for three and a half years entirely by choice, and now she wants to burn it all down on her way out the door. I would say this sounds like buyer's remorse, but she's blatantly trying to parlay this extra attention into entertainment industry success, so I guess it all served a purpose after all. She needs to take responsibility for her part in things. People can change their minds about their lifestyles and priorities, but don't try to rewrite the past as if you weren't an active participant.

 

[Cory333]

On why the fashion industry would want to include hijab-wearing models - there are an estimated 1.8 billion followers of the faith in the world and different "variants" of it, just like with Christianity, some more conservative, others less so. I'd imagine there is a huge market opportunity there.
But yes, diversity is tricky to get right. Doing it too much, too little, not at all, someone is bound to be offended.