Swimsuit

The Beautiful Halima Aden Inspires in These 5 Photos From the Dominican Republic

She made an impression in both of her back-to-back SI Swimsuit photoshoots.

Martha Zaytoun

Halima Aden poses in berry pink hijab with long fringe hanging in front of her face.

Halima Aden was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic.

When Halima Aden joined the SI Swimsuit Issue as a 2019 rookie in Kenya, she made history as the first hijab-wearing model to grace the pages of the annual magazine. She returned to the fold the following year, when she worked with photographer Kate Powers for a feature on the beaches of the Dominican Republic.

While there, we took the chance to catch up with Aden for the second year in a row, and gained a little bit more insight into the model’s background and motivations.

In terms of her incentive for her work as a model—and a trailblazing one at that—her answer was certain. “I am motivated by the messages I get from people around the world who connect with some part of my story,” she said. Such as “young Muslim and hijab-wearing girls who have never before seen someone who looks like them represented in the entertainment space, I have to push and keep going because I don’t want to let these people down. I want to show them that if you are willing to put yourself out there and take risks, the benefits always outweigh any negatives.”

We ended with a hard-hitting question: What advice would you give to your 14-year-old self? Adens answer, much like her, was thoughtful. “Plain and simple: be unapologetically yourself,” she answered.

Aden’s positive outlook and incredibly meaningful motivations more than shined through in both of her SI Swimsuit features. Today, we’re taking a look back at her photoshoot in the Dominican Republic. Here are some of the inspiring photos from the day.

Halima Aden poses in a pink burkini and a pink camo hijab.
Halima Aden posed in a green and black burkini and a matching muted hijab.
Halima Aden stands on the sand in a burnt orange burkini and a black wide-brimmed hat.
Halima Aden poses in a black burkini and black hijab in front of the ocean.
Halima Aden poses in a brown Fendi cape with a hood in front of the vibrant green palms.

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Martha Zaytoun
MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.

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