Ugbad Abdi Is The Harper’s Bazaar Arabia March 2026 Issue Cover Star

Modest, Muslim, and sparkling with main character energy

Ugbaddie – that’s the moniker her friends have given her – and it’s clear that nickname suits the model better known as Ugbad Abdi. She is a baddie, to borrow Gen Z phraseology – in the best possible sense. Behind her easy, breezy smile, the 25-year-old has a steely core. Born in Somalia, raised in a Kenyan refugee camp and later settling in Iowa, the now-New Yorker who “lives out of a suitcase” has managed to conquer everything life has challenged her with, coming out triumphant in the full blaze of the international limelight.

“I think my upbringing really helped with modelling. This job consists of traveling and experiencing new things in different places, meeting so many people from all over the world,” she tells Bazaar Arabia, keeping to our scheduled interview despite battling raging flu brought on by the pace of New York Fashion Week. “It was a lot easier for me to acclimatise to environments, and get adjusted. Most of what I learned came from being exposed to the real world, being uprooted and moving cross-country three separate times,” she says, touching on the adversity she and her family have faced.

Modelling wasn’t the obvious profession for the hijab-wearing Muslim to enter. But like most young girls, “fashion and beauty caught my eye from a really young age, just from seeing the women in my culture wear all of these colourful and sparkly dresses,” Ugbad says. She quickly clarifies, “But never in a million years did I think that it could be a career option, especially since I’d been taught to put my education as my number one priority.”

The lure of the Big Apple, its bright lights and high energy can-do attitude, ignited a change and broadened Ugbad’s horizons. “I just felt like I was home. I felt like New York was the city where all dreams came true. I wanted to move out of my hometown [Des Moines] and give modelling a shot.”

Not only was Ugbad ready, it seems that the fashion industry was too. The girl who tentatively dipped her toe into the scene was soon scooped up to star as the first hijab-wearing model to walk in high-profile shows like Fendi and Lanvin. What did this milestone mean to her personally? She thinks before answering slowly, “At the time I didn’t realise the impact that I would have on the ongoing conversation about representation and diversity,” she admits. “Until I saw the headlines and received so many messages from girls who told me what that meant for them, seeing me on those runways with my hijab on. It was really special; something I hold close. Because my hijab is something that I love to wear so to see that it makes a positive difference is incredibly touching.”

There was also pressure once she clocked the significance of her visibility among Muslim women. “I definitely felt the importance of what my identity could mean for someone’s own self-image, as I’ve had my own journey with rarely seeing anyone I could relate to on the runways or big screens,” she says. In an industry that often equates visibility with exposure, she has learnt to define modesty on her own terms. There has been a lot of discussion about modest models in the industry, with voices like Halima weighing in on their often-jarring personal experiences, and Ugbad doesn’t mince her words when she candidly states, “Modelling and modesty sometimes don’t mix.” She makes her point in a strictly first-person manner, clarifying, “I think I make it work for myself in a way that I feel comfortable.”

Her experience has not been seamless, so she empathises with those who have raised concerns. “I’ve been in situations where I had to learn to advocate for myself and say what I was comfortable talking about and what I was comfortable wearing or doing. It’s anxiety-inducing to stand up for yourself,” she tells us. “Having courage in situations like this isn’t easy, but I think people appreciate when you tell them how you feel because that way, you can collaborate as a team and create the best possible outcome.” She continues, “It’s been a journey and it will continue the more I learn about myself. In the end I always look back on projects I work on, or shows I walk for, and think to myself: ‘Would little Ugbad be proud of that?’ That’s the basis of how I move through the world in general.”

Ugbad was just 18 when she stepped into a profession that puts intense pressure on aesthetics at an age when most are at their most vulnerable. “I think the visibility at first was interesting to navigate because when I started, I was fresh out of high school,” she recalls, thinking back. “I had no idea who I was or what the bigger picture of my identity meant. Over time I learned to just trust myself, and to not look for outside voices to tell me who I should be.”

On the surface at least, it feels like there is a tangible shift in representation since her debut. Is this change something that she has experienced personally? “I definitely have,” she affirms. Then clarifies, “but I also think it’s like a pendulum. For example, there’s been some instances where I’ve worked on a shoot where my position or identity felt used to capitalise on something rather than a genuine message we can push. But there’s also so much work being done behind the scenes by so many that has contributed lasting efforts.”

Prosaically, but optimistically she notes, “Nothing changes overnight, but I think we are heading in a good direction.” Although negative experiences often garner the most headlines, Ugbad is also keen to give kudos to those who work with her, insisting “I’m so lucky and privileged to say that many stylists that I’ve worked with have been nothing but supportive and understanding of my modesty. It’s also just feels like playing dress up, so it’s fun to play around with the clothes in ways that not only look the best but also feel comfortable.”

Ugbad is thoughtful when discussion turns towards what genuine inclusion should look like in the luxury industry, given most brands are already keen to cash in on the global Muslim consumer. “True inclusion in fashion to me is not to cast someone just to tokenise them, to be performative, to check a box,” she says. “It’s when it’s normalised to include people for their talent as opposed to what they can do for the assignment and how it will be profitable.”

The question who gets to shape the narrative rather than simply embody it feels central to this articulate, thoughtful model’s evolution. Her creative instincts extend well beyond the runway, with photography a particular love. “I’ve been trying many different things creatively and going into different avenues to see if it’s something that I enjoy doing,” she says, reflecting on the supermodels who have built lasting worlds around their names. “At the start, I thought modelling was pretty much being a vessel for someone else – which it is – but over the years, I learned that you get to play a character, and you get to be a different character each time.” It follows naturally that her next chapter may still unfold in front of the camera, albeit in a different guise. “I’ve also been dabbling with that in acting so maybe that’ll be what’s next. Who knows?”

For a woman whose life began in Somalia, continued through a Kenyan refugee camp and took shape in the American Midwest, the idea of possibility has never been abstract. When asked what she hopes young girls in similar circumstances see when they look at her story, her answer comes without hesitation. “I tell my younger siblings this all the time,” she says. “There’s an endless world out there. I hope that young girls who look up to me, who are inspired by my story, see that they can dream beyond their scope. They can achieve anything they want.”

Lead Image Credits: Rings from left: Quatre Radiant Edition Ring in Yellow Gold; Quatre Classique Edition Extra Small Ring in Yellow Gold; Quatre Black Edition Ring in Yellow Gold; Quatre Black Edition Extra Small Ring in Yellow Gold, POA, all Boucheron. Coat, Dhs17,150, Christian Siriano

Photography: Petros Kouiouris. Fashion Editor: Charlotte Marsh-Williams. Styling: Fani Polychroniou. Talent: Ugbad Abdi at The Society Management. Art Director: Paul Solomons. Make-Up: Keita Moore. Nails: Louise at Nettle Nails. Executive Producer: Steff Hawker. Photographers Assistants: Beka Maglakelidge & Teague Shoup. Styling Assistants: Adlet Bermukhamedov, Julizza Valle & Magdalaina Fountaind. Make-Up Assistant: Nyala Chamberlain

Note: This content was created and printed prior to February 28, 2026

From the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia March 2026 issue