Ugbad Abdi

Ugbad Abdi is a Somali-American fashion model. She is best known for her prominent runway appearances and fashion media features, including breaking barriers as the first model to walk runway shows for Fendi and Lanvin while wearing a hijab.

Abdi was born in Kismayo, Somalia. Due to the Somali Civil War, her family fled the country to a refugee camp in Kenya. In 2009, when she was nine years old, her family relocated to Des Moines, Iowa, with assistance from UNICEF. She grew up in Iowa alongside her six siblings, two of whom were born after the family moved to the United States. She is fluent in both Somali and English. At the age of fourteen, she chose to begin wearing a hijab.

Shortly after graduating from high school in Des Moines, Abdi was scouted on Instagram. She subsequently traveled to New York for the first time to meet with agency representatives, leading her to sign a contract with Next Management.

Abdi made her official runway debut in the Valentino haute couture show for the 2018/2019 season. Following her debut, she quickly established herself on major international runways, opening New York Fashion Week shows for designers Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors. In 2019, she was recognized as one of the breakout models of the Fall 2019 season.

Throughout her modeling career, Abdi has walked for numerous major international fashion houses, including Chanel, Miu Miu, Simone Rocha, Burberry, Fendi, Lanvin, Max Mara, and Dries van Noten. She maintains her choice to wear head coverings while modeling on the runway and in photo shoots.

In April 2019, Abdi achieved notable recognition by appearing simultaneously in the British, American, and Arabian editions of Vogue. Later in her career, she appeared on the cover of Vogue France alongside Danish model Mona Tougaard for their 2022 issue.