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Somalia, United States
Abdi’s modeling debut converged with a particularly memorable moment in fashion in January of last year, when the Somali-born teenager from Iowa was among the 43 black models celebrated in Pierpaolo Piccioli’s landmark spring 2019 couture collection for Valentino, sweeping onto the runway in a cloud of tulle moments before Naomi Campbell closed the show. This month, as the first hijab-wearing model to appear on the cover of American Vogue, she is making history again. Abdi, 19, hopes her visibility will help dispel misconceptions about Muslim women that continue to be perpetuated in the West. “I’m still finding my voice,” says the model. “But I love when people ask me questions about the hijab, as I feel like it’s my responsibility to educate them.” (Abdi made a personal choice to commit to the Islamic veil when she was 14.) “When I read Instagram messages from young girls saying how inspired they are, I’m reminded that this is not about me—it’s bigger than me.”