Historically pushed to the margins, North African features are beginning to claim the visibility they were long denied, suddenly finding higher demand across runways and campaigns. Now that casting boards seem more welcoming to faces that sit outside fashion’s long-established mold, a new generation of models from our neck of the woods are stepping up, seizing opportunities their peers before them were rarely afforded, and claiming spaces that were once left largely out of reach.
Read on to discover 11 North African models steadily making their way onto the industry’s radar — and make sure their names stay on yours, too.
Ilyas Rmili (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Moroccan
Worked with: Comme Des Garçons, YZY, Rick Owens, Kenzo, Jeanne Friot
Atmane Yousfi (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Algerian
Worked with: KidSuper, EGONLab, Kartik Research, Taak
Abedrahman Hosni (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Tunisian
Worked with: Vivienne Westwood, Mordecai, Born In Exile
Ibby Shah (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Libyan-Pakistani
Worked with: Willy Chavaria, Fendi, MSGM, Mithridite
Yara Abdelhalim (Editorial)
Roots: Egyptian
Worked with: Nafiska Skourti, Max Mara, Kika
Imane Benkaddour (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Moroccan
Worked with: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli,
Salima Elmahraoui (Editorial)
Roots: Moroccan
Worked with: Daily Paper, SourceUknown, 1309Studios, LateForWorkWear
Mabrouka Fall (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Tunisian-Senegalese
Worked with: Vivienne Westwood, SEKI Resortwear, Calestis
Nour Boudaakat (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Moroccan
Worked with: GCDS, Fendi, Qasimi, Lacoste, Versace, Balenciaga, Dolce&Gabbana
Youssef Sharaf (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Egyptian-South African
Worked with: Bottega Venetta, Dior, Pierre-Louis Fascia, Jordan Luca, K-Way
Sahar Bensekheria (Editorial)
Roots: Algerian
Worked with: Emmanuelle Jane, Safran World, YSL Beauty
Youssef Faraj (Runway & Editorial)
Roots: Moroccan
Worked with: Rick Owens, DOUBLET, White Mountaineering