Somali models at New York Fashion Week
As of 22 October 2026, 11 Somali models have walked at least one show in New York since 2002. 4 of them have walked ten or more there. Ugbad Abdi leads with 42 New York shows across 13 seasons.
Share figures use the 4,338 of 5,338 models on record in New York since 2002 whose nationality is on record.
Updated 22 October 2026 · Public runway records since 2002 · Methodology
Most cast Somali models at New York Fashion Week
Ranked by shows walked in New York since 2002, one credit per show. Ties keep alphabetical order. How shows are counted
11 models on record in New York. Showing the first 10 of 11 listed here.
| Rank | Model | Shows in New York | Seasons | New York span | Houses in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ugbad Abdi | 42 | 13 | FW19 to FW26 | Tory Burch , Michael Kors , Prabal Gurung |
| 2 | Amina Ahmed | 18 | 6 | SS24 to SS27 | Prabal Gurung , Monse , Lapointe |
| 3 | Yasmin Warsame | 14 | 12 | FW03 to FW26 | Michael Kors , Oscar de la Renta , Dior |
| 4 | Farhiya Shire | 11 | 4 | SS16 to SS21 | Custo Barcelona , Zero Maria Cornejo , Zac Posen |
| 5 | Fatima Siad | 9 | 3 | SS14 to SS15 | Ralph Lauren , TOME , Lela Rose |
| 6 | Amina Hassan | 8 | 5 | FW24 to SS27 | Sandy Liang , Bibhu Mohapatra , Coach |
| 7 | Sundus Jama | 8 | 3 | SS22 to SS23 | Puppets and Puppets , Markarian , Tommy Hilfiger |
| 8 | Jibriil Ollow | 5 | 2 | FW24 to SS25 | Kim Shui , Private Policy , Romeo Hunte |
| 9 | Muna Mahamed | 4 | 4 | FW17 to SS25 | 3.1 Phillip LIM , Naeem Khan , Christian Siriano |
| 10 | Hanan Ibrahim | 3 | 2 | FW25 to FW26 | Nardos , Prabal Gurung |
Show 1 more model
| Rank | Model | Shows in New York | Seasons | New York span | Houses in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Ceval Omar | 1 | 1 | FW22 | Dion Lee |
Somali models at New York Fashion Week, season by season
- FW21
- 2 SS22
- 3 FW22
- 2 SS23
- FW23
- 3 SS24
- 5 FW24
- 5 SS25
- 5 FW25
- 4 SS26
- 4 FW26
- 2 SS27
Distinct Somali models with at least one show in New York that season, every category. A hairline marks a season with none on record. Resort and Pre-Fall rows are not counted.
Share of New York runway appearances
Somali models took 0.43% of New York runway appearances in Spring/Summer 2027, the latest season on record, from 0.31% in 2014.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Somali | Share | With nationality | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Not on record | Not on record | 780 | 834 |
| 2009 | Not on record | Not on record | 957 | 1,037 |
| 2010 | Not on record | Not on record | 437 | 454 |
| 2011 | Not on record | Not on record | 233 | 244 |
| 2012 | Not on record | Not on record | 1,359 | 1,397 |
| 2013 | Not on record | Not on record | 1,710 | 1,809 |
| 2014 | 8 | 0.31% | 2,574 | 2,821 |
| 2015 | 1 | 0.04% | 2,619 | 2,920 |
| 2016 | 8 | 0.25% | 3,221 | 3,773 |
| 2017 | 4 | 0.12% | 3,392 | 3,991 |
| 2018 | Not on record | Not on record | 3,530 | 4,062 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0.05% | 3,771 | 4,315 |
| 2020 | 5 | 0.13% | 3,930 | 4,374 |
| 2021 | 2 | 1.0% | 193 | 223 |
| 2022 | 17 | 0.75% | 2,259 | 2,518 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0.09% | 3,220 | 3,628 |
| 2024 | 19 | 0.57% | 3,322 | 3,697 |
| 2025 | 22 | 0.77% | 2,846 | 3,127 |
| 2026 | 20 | 0.66% | 3,046 | 3,300 |
| 2027 (SS27 only) | 7 | 0.43% | 1,647 | 1,774 |
Source: Tectova runway database · N = 1,647 New York appearances with a nationality on record in SS27, of 1,774 · read 22 October 2026
One appearance per model per show in New York, every category, by season year. Share = Somali appearances divided by appearances whose model has a nationality on record. From 2008, the first year with 500 or more New York appearances on record.
Houses in New York that have cast Somali models
Casting directors in New York who cast the most Somali models since 2025
Questions this page answers
Who is the most cast Somali model at New York Fashion Week?
Ugbad Abdi, with 42 shows in New York on public record since 2002, across 13 seasons, as of 22 October 2026.
How many Somali models walked New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027?
2 Somali models have a show on record in New York for Spring/Summer 2027, as of 22 October 2026. The week closed on 15 September 2026 and casts are still being added. 4 walked in Fall/Winter 2026.
Cite as: Tectova, “Somali models at New York Fashion Week”, 22 October 2026, tectova.com/talent/from/somalia/new-york.