Brace yourselves… Fencer Ibitihaj Muhammed has made history by walking Nike’s runway during the New York Fashion Week of autumn/winter 2020. Big news right? If you’ve been living under a rock, she was also the first Muslim American woman to wear hijab to the Olympics when she competed in Rio in 2016. She went on to win a bronze medal for sabre, no less.
Let’s just take a moment…
Get this – she walked the runway along other known pro-athletes including high jumper Vashti Cunningham, 11-year old skateboarder Sky Brown, and basketball player Diana Taurasi. They were the perfect models since Nike was showcasing the kit that sponsored athletes will wear at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which is JUST ROUND THE CORNER and we. cannot. wait!
If having all-star models wasn’t impressive enough, Drake, Travis Scott, Kenrdick Lamar, and Rosalia were among the first row seated during the show. I know, right?
By the way, this isn’t Ibtihaj’s first time to model for Nike. She previously starred in the brand’s 2019 Paris showcase (besides a lotta other advertising campaigns of the brand) while criticising France’s attitiude towards the hijab. *mic drop*
Appealing to a younger audience (and possibly the next gen of badass athletes) she’s been honoured as a Barbie ‘shero’ by manufacturer Mattel. She straight up has her own Barbie doll, complete with fencing kit, and frankly I’m giving major thought to starting up my own collection again!
We are obsessed by her strength, beauty, and dedication. I am sure she is everybody’s ultimate role model the same way she is to us, or she will be very shortly!