Until recently, fashion runways have been exclusively white, and fairly secular. It would have been unimaginable just a few years ago for a hijabi model to make it in the fashion world as a model but thankfully things are changing fast.
With the world’s push for diversity across all industries, hijabi women are no longer excluded from the biggest runways in the world. Whether its Fendi, Burberry or Valentino, history has been made, and hijabi models strutting down historically white runways are slowly becoming the norm.
To celebrate the women pushing the boundaries – we’ve rounded up our favorite faces to watch.
Intisar Abdul-Kader
The hijabi athlete, who is a long-distance runner in London, made her modeling debut at Stine Goya’s latest ready-to-wear show during Copenhagen Fashion Week. The Abu Dhabi-raised new model, who is of Somali, Yemeni, Sudanese, and Ethiopian descent, featured alongside a diverse cast, including Danish supermodel Helena Christensen.
Feriel Moulai
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The model, who is of Algerian descent, made her runway debut at Koche during Paris Fashion Week in 2019. She has also graced the pages of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Vogue Arabia, and i-D, to name a few.
Rawdah Mohamed
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Rawdah Mohamed, a healthcare professional who works with autistic children, first caught the attention of model scouts during Oslo Fashion Week 2019 due to her striking features and intriguing style, and went on to appear on the pages of publications like the US and Arab editions of Vogue as well as V Magazine.
Ikram Abdi Omar
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Abdi Omar made history when she became Burberry’s first hijabi model for their iconic festive campaign. Before she even turned 25, the model already had a Vogue cover under her belt, and has walked the catwalk for everyone from Tommy Hilfiger to Richard Quinn.
Ugbad Abdi
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The Somali-American model made her debut walking the runway for Valentino haute couture, she has since opened shows for the likes of Marc Jacobs, and was the first hijabi model to walk for Fendi and Lanvin.
Kadija Diawara
Kadija Diawara joined the ranks of Halima Aden and Ugbad Abdi as history-making hijabi models. She served as the face of Pyer Moss’s campaign, and starred in an Adidas campaign the year prior.
Asha Mohamud
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Asha Mohamud was known as a mental health and beauty blogger, but turned to a career in modeling last year. She made history as the first hijabi to front a campaign on ASOS for their first modest collection, entitled The Verona collection.
