Halima Aden will Host a Talk on the First Day of Heya on her Journey to Success and the Rise of Modest Fashion on the International Fashion Scene

Doha, Qatar:  23 October 2019:   Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition, in its 16th edition, will welcome model Halima Aden as special guest to the opening of the Arabian Fashion Exhibition on Friday, 25th October 2019.  Halima Aden will be flown in by Qatar Airways to attend the showcasing of the latest Arabian and modest fashion and will participate in a discussion on women’s empowerment in fashion and the arts on the first day of the exhibition. 

Aden, a Somali-American model, made history as the first hijab-wearing model to appear in Sports Illustrated magazine’s swimsuit issue donning the modest attire favored by many women. Aden, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp and moved to the United States when she was seven years old, first made waves when she wore a hijab and burkini during the swimsuit competition of the Miss Minnesota USA pageant in 2016, becoming the first contestant to do so during the pageant. 

She has since been featured on fashion magazine covers across the world, having made the cover of Vogue Arabia twice, challenging the meaning of conventional beauty across the globe.
 
At Heya 16th edition, in collaboration with Bianca Bonomi, Publisher of Harper’s Bazaar Qatar, Grazia Arabia, and Esquire Qatar and a highly respected cultural voice in the Middle East, Aden will participate in the ‘Celebrity Talk: Breaking boundaries, a history of firsts’, where she will share her journey to success and the rise of modest fashion on the international fashion scene. The talk will take place on the main stage at 5:00pm on day one.  

The first day of the exhibition will also include a presentation by Cosmoprof at 5:30pm, followed by a talk with VCUArts Chair of Fashion, Mr. Christopher Fink on ‘The International Fashion Scene in Parallelism to the Arabian Vogue’ at 6:35pm, all to be held on the main stage. Day one will conclude with a fashion show including designers; Tahani Al Otaibi, Apple Wang, Al Marya, Bebe Collection, Sweet Dolce, Lialy Line and Kyra. 

A series of workshops will be held throughout this edition of Heya by major partners including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, VCUArts Qatar, Galleries Lafayette, Bioskinspa, Maison de Joelle and Tajmeel. To view the five-day schedule for Heya, please visit http://heya.qa/schedule/ 
Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition will be held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) between 25-29 October 2019. The event is delivered by Design Creationz, with the support of the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), as part of its effort to empower the private sector to attract and host global events. 

The 16th edition of the exhibition has collaborated with several key partners and high-profile stakeholders in Qatar, the region and globally including a partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University – Qatar (VCUQ), one of the best fashion schools in the world, Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) and Bedaya center.