A Voice Of Reason

As Diversity Becomes The Regular, Shahira Yusuf Finds Herself At The Centre Of Fashion’S New Mood. But She’S Not A Muslim Model With The Same Standard Story. She Has A Lot To Say And Is Worth Listening To

- Georgie Bradley

On a scale of one to 10 on how tired Shahira Yusuf is of the now habitual ‘Muslim model’ story going around the media carousel, she’s “a strong seven”. She would have given it a slam dunk 10, but she doesn’t want the idea of being Muslim to be a complete after-thought.

“It’s still important to know about a Muslim girl’s story, besides her being a model,” she says.

Indeed, ‘Muslim model’ precedes Shahira’s identity in a way that models who aren’t, don’t experience. And as lofty a preamble it may seem, it’s devalued in meaning due to throwaway use: “It’s become a buzz term, which is clearly boring everyone now,” she flutters, with the mildest hint of east London in her accent. “Let’s get over it and make it normal already and talk about something new.”

So, I did what most journalists are indoctrinated to never do. I put the ball in Shahira’s court and gave the 21-year-old Somali-British model the freedom to pursue her own agenda in our interview, rather than being steered by my usual angle seeking route. I tell her to say it how it is.

“Being a Muslim model is not some kind of breakthrough trend anymore, there are a fair few of us now,” she says. “But my issue is, why are we seen as a collective? We shouldn’t be grouped together just because we share a religion. I want to be seen as an individual, outside of the ‘Muslim model’ narrative – we don’t need to constantly acknowledge that I am a Muslim model, we know that already, it’s established. It’s imperative to hear people’s personal stories, because they’re all going to be different and interesting in their own ways.”