NEW York: Rap superstar turned designer Kanye West broke boundaries by putting a hijab-wearing Somali-American model on the New York catwalk Wednesday, unveiling a new, more adult Yeezy Season 5 collection.
Halima Aden, 19, made her runway debut on day seven of New York fashion week at one of the hottest and most exclusive tickets in town — West’s at times experimental collaboration with Adidas.
She walked in front of West’s reality star wife Kim Kardashian and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour not long after West was slammed by fans for meeting then president-elect Donald Trump in December.
Born in a Kenyan refugee camp and now a US citizen, her appearance in such a high-profile show will propel her into a much bigger league than did the headlines she first made last year — when she became the first woman to compete in a Miss Minnesota beauty pageant in a hijab.
Style bible Vogue said her appearance made her the show’s “most talked-about new face” and credited her with starting a “meaningful conversation” by proudly representing Muslim women at fashion week.
While finding looks that meet her required modesty can be challenging, Aden told Vogue that so far her experiences had been positive.
“My goal is to send a message to Muslim women and young women everywhere that it’s okay to break stereotypes and be yourself,” the magazine’s website quoted her as saying.
“I haven’t received any pressure to be anything other than myself,” she told Vogue, “and for that, I am so grateful.”
The Season 5 show saw West apparently bounce back from a reported mental breakdown as his family was still recuperating after Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris in October.
And after a fiasco last season, which saw one model collapse due to extreme heat, West bucked the trend and refused to broadcast it live.
It was a radical departure for the 39-year-old whose shows have been over the top — presenting at locales from Madison Square Garden to New York’s Roosevelt Island — since he started his fashion line two years ago.
But on Wednesday his latest collaboration with Adidas was shown in a more traditional, stripped-down industrial space in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in an area along the Hudson River used by other designers.
Guests were warned not to use phones, take pictures or videos, and not to post anything on social media — but of course, those warnings appeared on social media anyway, as did a few photos.
The clothes departed a bit from his usual sportswear, though that influence was still present.
Denim hit the Yeezy catwalk for the first time, in the form of high-waisted jeans, shirts and jackets.
Coats in leather or fur put the label into another sphere, as did an anthracite gray blouse with a decidedly feminine cut.
Kanye West puts hijab-wearing model on catwalk
Kanye West puts hijab-wearing model on catwalk
Lavender looks: top fashion from the Joy Awards 2026
- Some of the best-dressed celebs from the lavender carpet at the Jan. 17 awards in Riyadh
DUBAI: Some of the best-dressed celebs from the lavender carpet at the Jan. 17 Joy Awards in Riyadh.
Abeer Nehme
The Lebanese singer and actress walked the lavender carpet in a custom-made gown by Rami Kadi Couture, featuring a fitted black bodice in “stretchy satin, complemented by a midnight-blue skire and refined with draped detailing along the bodice,” the fashion label wrote on Instagram.
Noha Nabil
The Kuwaiti beauty influencer selected a gold-and-copper asymmetric ombré gown created by Lebanese-American designer Rami Kadi for her Joy Awards appearance. The dress, which comes from the label’s “L’Éventail” collection, was “distinguished by sculptural ruffled layers and entirely embellished with shimmering sequins for a radiant, fluid silhouette.”
Carole Samaha
The famed Lebanese singer and actress — and former “X-Factor” judge — turned heads in this scarlet dress with sheer lace cutouts, created by Lebanese designer Tony Ward, at the awards, which she described in an Instagram post as “a night celebrating talent, creativity, and inspiration.”
Laila Abdallah
The Lebanese actress walked the Joy Awards lavender carpet in this floor-length, flowing gown that comes from Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika’s fashion house’s couture collection for Fall-Winter 2025. Abdallah told Arab News that the award ceremony is “(a) mix of culture and luxury. It has that Gulf Arab character, the Saudi touch, you know? And that’s what really makes it stand out.”
Aseel Omran
The Saudi singer and actress turned to the couture Fall 2024 collection of acclaimed Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad for her outfit, selecting what the label describes as “a sculptural gown featuring a strapless black velvet bodice with velvet floral appliques and a fluid blush draped satin skirt paired with long opera gloves.”
Karen Wazen
The Lebanese entrepreneur and social-media personality Karen Wazen walked the lavender carpet in this classically tailored embroidered gown from Lebanese designer Elie Saab. She told Arab News: “I’m so proud to be at an event like this in our region, in Saudi Arabia. This is probably the most impressive and biggest carpet that I’ve ever seen, and it just feels really, really good.”
Angham
The Egyptian singer and actress — who picked up the Best Female Singer of the Year award at the event — wore a “custom couture off-the-shoulder white gown embroidered with crystals and soft beading,” created by Zuhair Murad for the lavender carpet.
Nadine Nassib Njeim
The Tunisian-Lebanese actress and entrepreneur wore an haute couture gown created by Australian designer Tamara Ralph’s eponymous label, which described her outfit as “a fine crystal mesh floral intarsia gown with crystal buckle, paired with a mint duchesse coat.”
Tara Atalla
The Jordanian actress wore a brown Rami Kadi couture gown from the label’s “L’Éventail” collection, which was, according to the designer’s Instagram page, “exquisitely embroidered with luminous beads and silk threads, reflecting refined craftsmanship and understated elegance.”
