RIP to boundaries, because Sports Illustrated is breaking down all of them with its annual Swimsuit Issue. This year's edition is set to feature its first Polynesian model, Veronica Pome'e [1], in addition to 53-year-old icon Paulina Porizkova [2], and now the magazine is announcing its latest boundary-breaker: Halima Aden. The Muslim model will make history in the 2019 issue as the first to grace the publication's pages in a hijab and burkini [3]. And, boy, does she look stunning!
Halima travelled to her birth country of Kenya for the photo shoot, wearing custom-made burkinis by Cynthia Rowley and No Ka'Oi while posing on Watamu Beach for photographer Yu Tsai. While reflecting on the accomplishment in a Sports Illustrated video [4], the Somali-American model expressed excitement to represent modest Muslim women. "Growing up in the United States, I never really felt represented, because I never could flip through a magazine and see a girl who was wearing a hijab," she said.
The 21-year-old model initially made waves back in 2016 when she became the first woman to proudly wear a hijab and burkini in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant [5]. Since then, she's gone on to sign with IMG Models, be the cover star of British Vogue [6], and own the New York Fashion Week runways like an old pro. Keep reading for a sneak peek at her gorgeous, history-making Sports Illustrated debut, and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine when it hits newsstands on May 8.