Minnesota’s Halima Aden is Miss Universe Somalia 2020?

Halima Aden got many beauty pageant fans excited recently. The Somali-American fashion model has expressed her interest in joining Miss Universe 2020 representing Somalia.

Miss Universe has yet to confirm Aden as the official representative of Somalia. The 69th edition of the annual international beauty pageant is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2021.

Somalia is one of the countries that have never been represented in Miss Universe. Formed in 1952, the beauty pageant is headquartered in New York, New York, United States.

Once Aden is officially confirmed as Miss Universe Somalia 2020, it will be added to her list of firsts. In 2016, she competed in Miss Minnesota USA where she finished as a semi-finalist.

 

Although Aden did not win the Miss Minnesota USA 2016 title, she was remembered by many beauty pageant fans. She was the first woman to wear hijab and burkini while competing in the state level competition.

In February 2017, Aden made her debut at the New York Fashion Week. In May 2017, she served as a judge in the 66th edition of Miss USA both in the preliminary competition and in the coronation night.

In April 2018, Aden graced the cover of British Vogue. She was the first hijabi woman on the magazine’s cover.

 

In March 2019, Aden and her fellow black hijabi models Ikram Abdi Omar and Amina Adan graced the cover of Vogue Arabia. It was the magazine’s first group hijabi cover.

“I think it’s important to remember that wearing a hijab is a woman’s personal choice,” Aden told the magazine. “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.”

After this, Aden graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, which was released on May 8, 2019. She was the first Muslim model to wear a hijab and burkini in the magazine.

Born to Somali parents on September 19, 1997 in a United Nations refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, Aden was 6 years old when she moved to Saint Cloud, Minnesota. She attended Apollo High School and St. Cloud State University, which are both in St. Cloud.