Ugbad Abdi, an 18-year-old model recently made history as the first ever Muslimah to walk the Fendi runway wearing a hijab at the just concluded Milan Fashion Week.
For its Fall 2019 collection, Fendi joined other fashion houses to champion diversity and inclusivity with Ugbad Abdi as one of 42 other black models to have walked the show alongside supermodel Naomi Campbell and Duckie Thot.
Signed to Next and Evolve, the Somalian who once spent time in a Kenyan refugee camp due to civil war has quickly become the most noticeable out of all the breakout models of this fashion season.
The rising star made her fashion debut when she walked for Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino Haute Couture SS19, there she met her fashion Idol, Naomi Campbell.
Here’s what she had to say about that experience:
“I almost fainted because I didn’t know Naomi [Campbell] was even in the show, let alone right behind me! It was the biggest surprise because I wasn’t even thinking about who would be in the show because I didn’t even think I’d be a part of it.”
Meeting her idol is definitely not the only great thing happening to the model right now as she quickly became this season’s newest sensation. She opened for Marc Jacobs at the final stage of New York Fashion Week; took leading turns at Burberry, Victoria Beckham and Simone Rocha. She has also walked for fashion houses like Max Mara, Roberto Cavalli and more.
We can tell you that Ugbad Abdi is definitely off to a great start as she joins the league of models changing the narrative of inclusivity. Being a Muslim who has chosen to wear her hijab both off and on the runway, Ugbad like Halima Aden is definitely setting the pace for aspiring Muslimah models.
Here’s a look at all the times Ugbad Abdi killed it on the runway…
Photo Credit: IG | Iamugbad, Voguearabia.com, Vogue.com
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