Five years ago, a viral moment thrust Halima Aden into the global spotlight and jumpstarted her modelling career. The then 19-year-old Muslim made history when she became the first woman to compete in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant wearing a burkini (a swimsuit that covers the body from neck to ankles) and hijab head scarf.

The Somali-American – who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya before relocating to the US at the age of seven – didn’t win the competition, but she started getting calls from industry insiders who saw her potential, including agency IMG Models, with whom she eventually signed a three-year deal.

“But even before I did that meeting, I was on my first photo shoot with Rihanna for Fenty Beauty. Then literally within the same week I shot my first cover for CR Fashion Book, thanks to Carine Roitfeld,” Aden recalls, in her Midwestern American accent, when we meet in London. “It was like, boom, boom, boom! And before I knew it, I had launched a career in fashion.”

Supermodel status soon followed as Aden became the first hijab-wearer to be signed to a major agency, walk the runways of the four international fashion capitals and appear on the cover of magazines including British Vogue, and the first burkini and hijab-wearing model to feature in Sports Illustrated’s famous Swimsuit Edition.

Then, just as suddenly as she’s appeared on the scene, Aden announced she was quitting modelling in a series of Instagram posts in November 2020 saying that, despite insisting on conditions such as a ‘hijab clause’ in all her contracts, she wasn’t willing to “compromise who I am in order to fit in” and stand by as others were mistreated.

Now, after taking some time out, the 24-year-old is back, this time taking on a designer role with Modanisa, the modest fashion retailer that made her Miss Minnesota burkini. Aden – who was also named in this year’s BBC 100 Women list – has collaborated on a range of turban shawls in a wide variety of nude skin tones.

Ahead of the collection launch, we chatted to the model-turned-designer about her career trajectory, her dramatic exit from fashion and how her life has changed during the pandemic.

Was there a ‘final straw’ moment before you decided to give up modelling?

“It wasn’t really one thing that led to my decision. It was a multitude of things that I’d seen – and some had nothing to do with me personally. I was very naïve, I think, because I thought everybody was treated the way I was treated.

“I quickly realised through model friends and just seeing things with my own eyes, that’s not how the industry operates. I had a hard time accepting that [I was] part of an industry that does not respect or treat young men and women with just basic human dignity.”

Did you miss modelling after you quit?

“No, because I had such a problem backstage with what I was witnessing, so I’m grateful that I’m not in those environments anymore. It was a bit toxic for young women and [my] self image, so although it’s fun, it’s creative, I’m starting to realise which parts of the industry I can comfortably be in, and which to stay away from.”

What was it like meeting Rihanna on your first ever shoot?

“I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, fricking Rihanna’s in the building!’ Because I love her, I love her music. I remember when she dyed her hair red, I was wearing a red hijab – I wanted my own little Rihanna moment. She was so down to earth [on set]. She followed me on Instagram, we still DM (direct message).”

Have you told her about your new collection yet?

“I haven’t, I’m waiting for the [catwalk] show, I’ll write her a really cute letter or something.”

Having grown up in a refugee camp, how did it feel to buy your own home during the pandemic?

“It was a dream come true. Because what I’m living is the epitome of the American dream. [We came] here with literally the clothes on our backs, we didn’t have suitcases, we literally had the IOM [International Organization of Migration] bags that they give you.

“Most refugees don’t get relocated to a place like America, they either get sent back home or they stay in the camps for up to 26 years. In fact, when I had went back in 2018, there were people that were there when I was born, that are still there with their own children now.”

How has your mental health been during the pandemic?

“It was definitely the loneliest time of my life. I’m an extrovert, I get my energy through people, and I found myself in my condo by myself. And also, the George Floyd [murder happened] literally 12 minutes from my place.

“I would just constantly hear police cars, and then you turn on the news and you see another barber shop, another local business burnt to the ground. So it was just very triggering. It was a lot, and it brought back fears of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], childhood PTSD that I’ve never dealt with.”

Did you see a therapist to deal with your PTSD?

“I did. That’s how I knew [it was PTSD]. Because I was [always] so positive. Even in all my interviews about the camp, I touched a little bit on the problems like malaria and some of the food insecurity, but I never really dove deep into some of the stuff that I witnessed, what I saw, what it felt like.

“They say a lot of past traumas come back in your early 20s. A lot of mental health [issues] really start affecting you. And I think it was just time. But I’m so grateful that I got to unpack that, as painful as it was.”

The Halima X Modanisa collection will be available in January 2022.