When 19-year-old Somalian-American model Halima Aden made her runway debut for Kanye West's Yeezy Season 5 show in New York this week, she instantly became the most talked about model - wearing a hijab that perfectly framed her strikingly beautiful face, with her light brown eyes, full lips and perfect jawline.
The Minnesota-raised teen has just made history by becoming the first hijab-wearing Muslim model to be signed to IMG Models - the agency that Kate Moss, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and the Hadid sisters belong to.
It's not the first time she has made headlines: last year, she was thrust into the spotlight after she entered the Miss Minnesota USA competition wearing a burkini and hijab.
Halima announced the exciting news on Instagram, posting a picture of her first shoot with famed photographer Mario Sorrenti for Carine Roitfeld's CR Fashion Book: 'Remember Halima Aden, the Muslim girl who ran for Miss Minnesota? She's signed with IMG, just CR Fashion Book with Mario Sorrenti and will be walking next Yeezy season. I signed with the top modeling agency in the WORLD and still wore my hijab as my crown.'
Indeed, she is keen to use her newfound fame as a platform to speak to young Muslim women, telling US Vogue: 'My goal is to send a message to Muslim women and young women everywhere that it’s okay to break stereotypes and be yourself. Always stay true to who you are - barriers can and will be broken!'
Her Instagram account is full of politically and socially charged posts, encouraging people to break down barriers and accept each other, whatever their background. In one she says: 'Beauty isn't a one size fits all. We need to celebrate everyone and welcome those who are different than us. This year has had so much negativity, it's time to move away from the hate and learn to accept. I'm choosing LOVE because a nation that doesn't stand together will fall.'
Hear, hear!