Kanye West casts refugee hijabi model Halima Aden in his Yeezy show at NYFW, and she slayed

Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 presentation at NYFW featured the model Halima Aden, wearing her hijab. This season’s New York Fashion Week has had no shortage of social and political statements. But this one may be one of the most inspirational and aspirational.

Aden, 19, made her runway debut in front of fashion heavy-hitters Kim Kardashian and Vogue’s Anna Wintour, who both sat in the front row.

Halima Aden has spoken before about how people tend to view her hijab.

“A lot of people will look at you and will fail to see your beauty because you’re covered up and they’re not used to it,” she told Minneapolis TV station KARE in November.

#HalimaAden debuts at #KanyeWest (@kanyewest)'s #YEEZYseason5 show today at #NYFW. pic.twitter.com/QocyBwaqZB

— IMG Models (@IMGmodels) February 15, 2017

Kanye representing 😬🙌 #YeezySeason5 #HalimaAden pic.twitter.com/cWxJHSfIwI

— Zeinab Najm (@zeinabnajm) February 15, 2017

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQiVX2SAJW2

“So growing up, I just had to work on my people skills and give people a chance to really know me besides the clothing.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQD4W10gvYj

Born in a refugee camp in Kenya, Aden is a first-generation Somali-American. She’s also a freshman at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota, and signed to IMG Models after making headlines for competing in hijab at her state’s Miss USA pageant last year.

Aden became the first woman to wear her traditional Muslim headpiece for the entire competition.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BP6PSEMgDpa

She also chose to wear a burkini for the swimsuit round.[/subheader]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMDtZ5dgq7H

Have you ever heard anything more bad ass?!