2019-09-01_Harpers_Bazaar_Australia.

GETTY IMAGES; JASON LLOYD-EVANS

delicatefeat

y, Somalim

e breakouts

ByGrace

E MATHSPROBLEM: there’s an abundance of

rld,but onlya handful of top model positions

available.Sohowdoesa Somalirefugeebasedin Iowa, with no contacts and a

lackofcelebrity parentage,breakthrough? For 18-year-old Ugbad Abdi, it

camedownto Instagram. Afterfinishinghigh school, and inspired by the

monumentalsuccessof fellowSomali-American Halima Aden, Abdi embarked

ona gapyeartopursuemodelling.HerInstagram posts attracted the attention

of NextModels,whoflewhertoNewYorkandsigned her in August 2018. By

Januaryof thisyear,shewaswalkingherfirstshow — alongside Naomi Camp-

bellforValentinohaute couture,noless.More wins followed in February,

whenshebecametheunequivocaldarlingofA/W 2019: she opened for Marc

Jacobsin NewYork,wasthemajortalkingpoint at Victoria Beckham’s show in

Londonandbecamethefirsthijab-wearingmodel to walk for Fendi in Milan.

ShefinishedtheseasonwithturnsforLanvin and Off-White, and another

appearanceat Valentino.Editorialsandcoversfollowed en masse, establishing

heras a megamodelforthetimes.Werecommend keeping tabs.

uresanda quiet

odelUgbadAbdi

tarofA/W 2019.

O’Neill

Withd

serenity

wasthe

FASHIOONHASA SIMPLE

beautifuul womenin thewo

il bl Sh d S

Ugbad Abdi at, clockwise from

far left, Victoria Beckham

A/W 2019; Chanel cruise 2020;

Valentino A/W 2019; Lanvin

A/W 2019; backstage at Max

Mara A/W 2019; Burberry A/W

2019; Fendi A/W 2019.

66 HARPERSBAZAAR.COM.AU^ September 2019

The BUZZ