Ugbad Abdi

Modeling star Ugbad Abdi’s career has been shaped by faith and family – and now, her younger sister Hani is joining her in fashion.
Hani (left) wears jacket, Dries Van Noten; earrings, Alexis Bittar; headwrap, stylist’s own. Ugbad wears bodysuit, Balenciaga; dress, AZ Factory; headwrap, stylist’s own. Vogue Arabia, April 2022. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Transformation is an essential part of being a model, but Ugbad Abdi appreciates every moment she gets to be herself. The 23-year-old star has spent most of the year so far traveling for work, jetting from one destination to the next as she brings designer fantasies to life. On paper, the job is glamorous – one day, she’s a Versace beauty in Milan, the next an urbane muse for Tom Ford – but the ceaseless nature of fashion’s current calendar means every spare minute is precious. Fresh from a trip to Miami for a shoot and blessed with a rare evening off, Abdi could explore the city, but she’d rather call her mom. “I’m always checking in, giving her little updates on how things are going,” she shares on the phone from Manhattan. “My family was just here over the holidays. I loved it. We spent so much time going to parks, riding our bikes, or hanging out. They’re such a big part of my life.”
Vest, skirt, Luchen; headpiece, JR Malpere; earrings, necklaces, bangles, and bracelets, Alexis Bittar. Photo: Luigi and Iango
One of five siblings, Abdi is part of a close-knit Muslim family in the Somali community of Des Moines, Iowa. A hub of activity in the American heartland, the city has been the star’s home since she was nine. Born in Kismayo, Somalia, Abdi and her family fled the nation’s civil war in the 90s, relocating to a refugee camp in Kenyan suburbs. Though far from the bustle of fashion capitals, she dreamed of seeing the world and taking her loved ones along for the journey. “I was always telling my family that we should travel. I was in love with anything that took me beyond my hometown,” she says. “There was just so much I wanted to see and experience.”
Abdi’s family understood that implicitly. “They’ve been my biggest supporters from the beginning,” she says. “Everyone is exposed to so much information, positive and negative, about fashion, and people can have a hard time grasping what we do as models. I was fortunate to have a family who understood. My mother saw how happy this made me and that having a career where I get to experience different cultures and continuously learn was so important to me.”
Dress, leggings, shoes, Fendi Haute Couture; helmet, Heather Huey. Photo: Luigi and Iango
In modeling, a support system can mean the difference between success and failure. A highly competitive field with long hours and high turnover, the business of beauty is daunting. Abdi, who was discovered by a scout from Next Management after posting images of her makeup artistry on social media, relied on her mother to navigate the ups and downs of her new career. “When I started, I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” she says. “All through high school, people told me that I should model because I’m so tall, but in Iowa, you can’t just walk into an agency. Modeling was jarring because I didn’t grow up looking at people in the spotlight.”
Abdi’s inspirations hewed closer to home. The women in her family were the people she looked to most, and their influence informed many of her earliest accomplishments. “I remember calling my mom seconds after I walked Valentino,” Abdi says of her debut at Pierpaolo Piccioli’s SS19 couture show. “I sent her a video before I even stepped out of the building, and I could hear her excitement and pride. Booking my first Vogue Arabia cover (October 2019, in Peter Lindbergh’s last editorial fashion shoot) was such a big deal because she loves the magazine, and I was thrilled for her to see it in print.”
Jacket, skirt, tights, boots, Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture; gloves, Causse; helmet, Heather Huey; earrings, Alexis Bittar. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Sharing her second cover with little sister Hani was a full-circle moment. “What is so rewarding is finally being able to take my family into what I do, instead of sharing the outcome with them,” Abdi explains. “Very few people get to experience working on a project like this and having Hani on set with me was amazing. Watching her have so much fun reminds me of how I felt when I first started. When I looked over at her while she was shooting her singles, I was in awe. She was serving face! I had to pull her aside and tell her how proud I was.”
Hani (left) and Ugbad wear jackets, dresses, baseball caps, gloves, shoes, Marc Jacobs
Though they’d discussed posing together in the past, Abdi never envisioned their first collaboration would result in a Vogue cover. “We’ve been talking about it forever. I’ve always wanted to do an editorial with my family,” says Abdi. “Of course, neither of us could have predicted it would happen so soon. “Hani is only 18 and just stepping into this world. This is her first shoot, so I wanted the experience to be as comfortable as possible.” Accomplishing that meant giving her little sister a crash course in modeling basics. To outsiders, posing for a portrait might seem intuitive, but after years of working with photographers and stylists, Abdi understands how much preparation goes into each image. “I gave her a little pep talk, especially about heels,” says Abdi. “Shoes are part of the learning process. There are still times when I still struggle with them, but she adapted so quickly. The moment she got in front of the camera, she had it down.”
Bodysuit (worn throughout), Balenciaga; bathing suit, skirt, earrings, bracelets, bag, Chanel; headpiece, JR Malpere; gloves, stylist’s own. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Stilettos aside, Abdi’s highlight was seeing Hani interact with photographers Luigi Murenu and Iango Henzi, whose work she’d long admired. “She loves to take pictures and capture special moments, so I understood how much connecting with Luigi and Iango would mean to her,” says Abdi. “On set, they’d discuss the cameras they use and their techniques, how to set up a shot or retouch an image. She loved every minute, and it allowed me to see her exploring one of her passions.”
Dress, gloves, neck scarf, necklace, Marc Jacobs; earrings, cuffs, bangles, Alexis Bittar
At present, Abdi’s own goals center on advocating for her community. Her roots have informed her career trajectory, and as one of fashion’s most prominent hijabi models, Abdi’s influence extends beyond the catwalk. Keenly aware of how her presence in the industry reflects broader social change, she wants to be a force for good. “It’s about challenging perceptions about what a Muslim woman can and can’t do,” she says. “I don’t take for granted how difficult that can be, but we all have a voice and opinions. I’m lucky enough to also have this platform. When I get messages from women saying that they feel represented by me or that for the first time they see someone who looks like them in a magazine or runway show, it’s so meaningful. “For me, that’s what makes the work worthwhile.”
Dress, leggings, shoes, Fendi Haute Couture; helmet, Heather Huey. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Fittingly, their images of two confident, elegant women in hijab speak volumes. Though the shoot went off without a hitch, Abdi and her sister haven’t told their family about the big moment. With the issue centered on family and releasing during Ramadan, the pair decided it would be best to wait to share the good news. “The holidays are so special for us. We’re a big family, and it’s a time when we all come together and take a moment to appreciate each other, which has been so important during the pandemic,” says Abdi. “This means so much, and we wanted to wait until Ramadan so that we could share it with everyone.”
Keeping the secret under wraps required some sleight of hand. “My mom and I talk almost every day, and sometimes I just want to blurt it out,” says Abdi. “Seeing her reaction in person will be worth the wait. I know she will be so excited once we present her with the hard copy. This was a moment I’m going to cherish for the rest of my life and to be able to see her experience it for the first time surrounded by our entire family makes it even more meaningful.”
Dress, gloves, neck scarf, necklace, Marc Jacobs; shoes, Alaïa; earrings, cuffs, bangles, Alexis Bittar
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Originally published in the April 2022 issue of Vogue Arabia
Style: Gaultier Desandre NavarreSittings editor: Michael PhilouzeHair: Sasha Nesterchuk using KérastaseMakeup: Sil BruinsmaLighting director: Dean DodosStyle assistant: Liv EklundStudio manager: Kristian Thomassen

Sisters Hani and Ugbad Abdi in their first shoot together. Vogue Arabia, April 2022. Photo: Luigi and Iango
I’m still blown away by the fantastic feedback on our 5th anniversary issue. This festive edition resonated with readers around the globe, especially with so many Arab women who are proud to be represented on a global scale as the modern leaders and businesswomen they are. Within the first 30 minutes that we revealed the first cover on Instagram, it was shared by more than 5,000 users.
However, in fashion’s best style, what is done, is done. And it’s now time to dive deep into April, a special time when we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Month. This inspired us to build this issue around the values of family and connection, but also the ever growing importance of modest fashion. As I wrote in last month’s editor’s letter, I still struggle to understand the western obsession with modesty, and why people who don’t fully understand these codes think that they have the knowledge – and sometimes the mission – to liberate women from modesty.
Of course, all generalizations are dangerous, but I can guarantee that most Arab women who have adopted modesty don’t need to be saved by anyone. In a story penned by Hafsa Lodi, we also observe how the codes of modesty have evolved over the last couple of years, mostly depending on new cultural and economical nuances. The complexity of this topic proves once again that clothes and fashion are much more than just what we wear.
On the topic of family, hijabi supermodel Ugbad Abdi returns to our cover. This time, she is joined by her younger sister Hani, who is in front of the camera for the first time. In the interview conducted by Janelle Okwodu, the siblings share their remarkable life journey, from fleeing the civil war in Somalia and living in a refugee camp in Kenya for nearly a decade, to a dream life (but one of challenges and hard work) in the US.
Another power duo, Arabia’s favorite international couturier Stéphane Rolland and his forever muse, the Spanish supermodel Nieves Álvarez, were photographed in Paris. Rolland has been visiting the Middle East for decades, and recently designed the wedding dress of HRH Princess Hussa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the only daughter of King Salman. The idea to feature the couturier in this issue manifested after I watched his latest show in Paris and witnessed the incredible reactions from our followers on social media – his was the most liked and commented couture show of the season. It was powerful, artistic, and touching, and reminded me why I fell in love with fashion in the first place.
Read Next: Hijabi Model Ugbad Abdi and Sister Hani Star on Our Ramadan Issue Celebrating Family and Modest Fashion
Originally published in the April 2022 issue of Vogue Arabia

Ugbad Abdi. Vogue Arabia, April 2022. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Star photographers Luigi and Iango bring into focus a richly colored cover story starring Ugbad Abdi and her younger sister Hani. Abdi is the world’s leading hijabi supermodel, born in Somalia and raised in a Kenyan refugee camp after fleeing her country’s civil war, and in Des Moines, Iowa. She has walked and opened shows for Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors along with Fendi, Chanel, Burberry, Dries Van Noten, and Valentino Haute Couture, always in her hijab.
This month, returning to our cover in her first appearance after the October 2019 issue, Abdi highlights the importance of family during Ramadan. Speaking to Janelle Okwodu, Abdi, who was scouted on Instagram a few years ago, shares, “My mother saw how happy fashion made me and that having a career where I get to experience different cultures and continuously learn was so important to me.” The hijabi supermodel didn’t initially think fashion was for her, recalling, “Modeling was jarring because I didn’t grow up looking like people in the spotlight.”
Her Highness Sana Al Maktoum. Vogue Arabia, April 2022. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Coming from one of the leading families in the GCC, passionate designer and philanthropist Her Highness Sana Al Maktoum reveals her new collection of high jewelry in this issue, along with highlighting the numerous causes she supports, like the opening of Fakeeh University Hospital’s new breast clinic. The young royal speaks about her family, sharing, “The butterfly motif in my jewelry is a tribute to my grandmother, as she is my greatest inspiration and my muse. My grandmother was one of the first educated Emirati businesswomen and I’m often told by family members that I have her spirit guiding me always. She was the leading light for the empowerment of Emirati women here and I hope to carry the torch.”
Meanwhile, the undeniable shift of modest fashion penetrating the west is explored by journalist Hafsa Lodi, who decodes the motivations driving women across the globe to design, deconstruct, and dress in modest fashion today. “Hijabi models are no longer novelties, and most fashion is no longer limited to annual Ramadan capsules – or to Muslim consumers for that matter,” she writes.
On the topic of fashion, we explore another shift taken as of late by fashion houses, notably a price surge in luxury goods. “The bag regains the function of rarity, at a time of image saturation and dematerialized experiences, offering a return to the material, the tangible, reminding us of a time when luxury wasn’t industrialized and mass-produced,” comments Manon Renault, fashion critic and lecturer in cultural studies at Paris’s Sorbonne university.
Leïla Slimani
Continuing the theme of family, Vogue Arabia speaks with Morocco-born Prix Goncourt winner Leïla Slimani about her latest novel, Regardez-nous danser, the second in a planned trilogy. The writer – who also serves as emissary for French President Emmanuel Macron – considers her trilogy a tribute to the Moroccan women in her family. “To the birds who managed to fly in a sea of ants,” she says, adding, “They worked and they took care of the education of the children. They laughed, and they continued to organize parties and to live. So I think that it’s a real homage to the fact that even in a very patriarchal society, even in a society where it’s so difficult to be free, maybe – and it’s a paradox – women were freer than men in my family.”
Stéphane Rolland and Nieves Álvarez. Vogue Arabia, April 2022. Photo: Luigi and Iango
Celebrating 15 years of his haute couture house, Stéphane Rolland returns to the runway with his eternal muse, Spanish supermodel Nieves Álvarez, by his side. Both are photographed and interviewed in this month’s designer feature. Rolland, the favored international couturier of the Arab world, comments, “My Middle Eastern clients understand perfectly how to interpret couture.” Notably, in 2021, Rolland designed the wedding dress of HRH Princess Hussa bint Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the only daughter of the ruler of Saudi Arabia. Her dream was to wear a gown that paid tribute to her country and its culture. “Together, we decided to create a contemporary gown by reinterpreting the bisht,” recalls Rolland of the standout career moment.
All this and more in the April 2022 issue of Vogue Arabia, on stands April 1.
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