Ubah Hassan

[fer19dog]

thanks for dedicating your time for this, much appreciate it

[tigerrouge]

Fourth...

A new life

Adjusting to school in Canada was initially tricky. By now I was 11 and although my English was poor, I was able to enter a normal state school and gradually began to make friends. I studied hard but it was tough. I remember walking into my first computer class and being puzzled by the thing that looked like a TV screen - I’d never seen a computer before. But if being a refugee teaches you one thing, it’s never to take your life for granted. You want to be the best at everything. For the first time ever, I began getting attention because of my looks. In Africa, the curvy girls were considered most attractive, so no-one looked twice at my slim figure. I was nicknamed ‘the giraffe’ and often teased. Suddenly in Canada my 5ft 11in frame and small features were regarded as beautiful. It felt amazing.

Every now and again I felt a sharp pang when I thought about my mum and sisters. We’d had no contact and, after ten years apart, I didn’t even know if they were alive or dead. We were poverty-stricken and any money we had was spent on food - there was nothing left to pay for someone to track down relatives. So you can imagine my utter shock when, one day, a friend told us that she’d heard my mum was also living in Vancouver! She was only a 45-minute drive away, across the city.

I was buzzing - what would she look like? Would she recognise me? As she opened the door, we literally fell into each other’s arms. She and my sisters had lived in a refugee camp before coming to Canada. She told me that my sisters were also in Vancouver, and over the next few weeks we all got together. My parents never reunited, but I had all my family back. Life began to feel as if it had purpose again.

It was in 2004, when I was 17, that my life was turned on its head once more. I was sitting in a park when a man approached me and asked if I’d ever done any modelling. People had suggested it to me before but I’d never pursued it, preferring instead to concentrate on studying. My dad was a bit hesitant initially - if only because of the travelling - but was otherwise supportive. It all happened so fast - a week later I was signed up to an agency and soon I was booked for magazines shoots and dozens of runway shows. It was totally surreal.

My first front cover was for a local magazine in Toronto but my first big pay packet was for an ad campaign for Sterling - a Canadian shoe company - in May 2007. When I first saw the cheque, I thought they’d made a mistake. I treated myself to a Hermes scarf but the rest went into my savings. As I was flown around the world on various jobs, I realised that my nomadic background actually came in handy - it made me hugely adaptable and I was more than accustomed to living out of a suitcase!

[tigerrouge]

Final part...

Catwalk success

Up until late 2007, I wasn’t allowed to travel anywhere outside Canada because my citizenship was so restrictive. Then, once I got my working visa, my agent signed me up to Click Models and I moved to New York. At first work was slow but in June this year, I got a call from Italian Vogue who were putting together an issue dedicated to black models. I was beyond excited. They told me my name would appear on the front cover alongside Naomi Campbell, Alek Wek, Iman and Tyra Banks. Strangely, I wasn’t nervous at the shoot. My background in Somalia had instilled certain beliefs in me. We all breathe the same air; no-one is bigger or better than you.

Italian Vogue was such a high point in my career. I met lots of other models who were all really inspiring. Liya Kebede, who was the first black face of Estee Lauder, was especially nice to me. Soon after I was booked by Ralph Lauren to close his New York Fashion Week show, which was a huge honour. It was intoxicating having all those faces smiling up at me from the front row.

I still hate the word refugee. It’s associated with being a victim and I certainly don’t feel like a victim. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect my career. For example, I couldn’t take part in Paris Fashion Week because I have no passport or birth certificate. I have residential status in Canada, but travel visas take up to two weeks to come through. But I’m just glad I’m able to make a living. My dad is so proud of me. There is still sadness in his eyes. I often want to tell him that he did his best, and though all the constant upheavals have been painful, none of it is his fault. At least we can get on with living again now. I often think people take freedom too lightly. Being able to pop across to another country for a holiday or go shopping for shoes are things I never take for granted.

I’ve often thought about returning to Somalia but I’m terrified of what I might find. Right now, the best thing I can do is draw attention to the country’s plight. And I hope that my example will give women from other war-torn countries some hope, and go some way to halt prejudices against asylum seekers. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel like the luckiest person on earth. I’m earning my own wage, living a happy life, travelling the world and meeting extraordinary people every day. I was given that chance. Some people might say that fashion is a shallow, frivolous business. You’ll never hear that from me.

[Fontenrose]

thanks for your hard work typing!

[_incognito]

Thanks for typing out the interview, tigerrouge! A very interesting read .

[FashionCapital]

Thank you so much, hunny!

[ax80]

Great interview. So touching.

Am I the only one who would love to see her as a VS girl one day? I think she's perfect for them.

[ax80]

Sexy New You by Dean Isidro.
CosmoGirl (?)

Click

The last picture is so stunning! I am in love with her statuesque figure.

[valmount]

such a great interview...She is so strong...

[_incognito]

Wow, the last picture is amazing! Thanks for the scans

[fer19dog]

she looks beautiful in that edit, thanks for posting

[simplylovely]

I think the second and last pic look incredible for Cosmogirl!

[rubydon]

wow, those scans are stunning!

[happycanadian]

wow! gorgeous girl! seriously fresh face! contagious smile. insaaaaaanely long-limbed and tremendously elegant looking!


i'm a fan!

[FashionCapital]

Does anyone have the image that's on the bottom right in her very first showcard? It's amazing. I wish I could see it in higher resolution.