MILAN – Somali-American star Halima Aden and Danish Muslim model Amina Adan have hit the runway in Milan Fashion Week, putting hijab at the center of the huge event.

Both models walked for Max Mara in the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2018 show on Thursday, Arab News reported on Sunday, February 25.

After the show, Adan took to her Instagram page to thank Max Mara for the experience, posting: “Thank you for this amazing experience, @maxmara.”

The 20-year-old hijabi model walked for Max Mara on Thursday in the Italian fashion capital, almost 12 months to the day that she starred in the luxury label’s Autumn/Winter 2017 show.

Aden made history November 2016, by competing at the Miss Minnesota competition in her traditional dress and modest swimwear, reaching the semi-finals of the beauty pageant.

She was the first fully covered Muslim to compete in the state pageant, where she made it to the semifinal round of 15 but didn’t advance to the final five.

Since then, the young Muslim has walked for Max Mara, Alberta Ferretti, and Kanye West’s fashion line, Yeezy, all in her hijab.

The model has previously opened up about her rise to fame, revealing she was “never expecting” to forge a career in the fashion industry.

“Growing up, I knew what it was like not having representation. When I say representation, I just mean people who resemble you or someone you could relate to or someone who even dresses like you,” Aden told i-D magazine last year.

“If I can give that opportunity to a girl, where she can flip through a magazine and see someone dressed like her, or someone who looks like her or has a similar background, I think that’s important.”

“Me being out in the public and displaying my religion, my faith, being different to what the stereotype is — I think that has opened a lot of people’s eyes,” she added.