Halima Aden will be at Fashion Avenue in The Dubai Mall on October 22, to celebrate the Middle East edition of Max Mara's capsule collection. Although Aden first broke out on the style scene when she was part of Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 show — wearing her trademark headscarf — it was her turn on the Max Mara runway during Milan Fashion Week 2017 that placed the then 19-year-old firmly in the fashion spotlight. In fact, Max Mara was one of the first big-name brands to put the hijab-wearing model on the runway, kick-starting not only her career, but also encouraging other designers to start thinking about diversity. The Somali-American model has since walked for the Italian brand in four shows, as well as represented brands such as Alberta Ferreti, Fenty Beauty, Nike, American Eagle, The Modist and Dolce & Gabbana. Aden has also made inroads into the UAE, and she was part of Dubai's inaugural Modest Fashion Week last year. And she was in Abu Dhabi to launch Etihad Airways' Runway to Runway programme in April 2017. She also turned up for Rihanna's first make-up masterclass in Dubai in September. Currently, Aden is fronting the campaign for The Contemporary Muslim Fashions exhibition, ongoing at the Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco. Her upcoming trip as the face of Max Mara will see Aden in the brand's new flagship store in The Dubai Mall from 5pm to 7pm. "She blew us away with her intelligence, charisma and courage … she is a shining star and an outstanding role model," says Ian Griffiths, Max Mara's creative director. <strong>_______________________</strong> <strong>Read more:</strong> <strong>_______________________</strong>
