In the prestigious landscape of Parisian fashion, a unique story unfolds — that of Somali refugee Issack Abdi Sadik, a 25-year-old model living a double life. After a displacement marked by resilience (Sadik came to Europe with neither financial nor family support, yet was able to secure asylum in France), fate intervened one morning when a fortuitous encounter in the streets of the capital led to an unexpected proposal: a contract with Elite, one the world’s biggest modeling agencies.While Sadik has walked multiple high-profile shows since joining Elite in September 2022, it is another part of his story that has earned him attention.
Despite working for prestigious fashion brands, Sadik has been forced into a life of homelessness, many of his nights being spent on the unforgiving streets of Paris. Sadik walked the Parisian Fashion Week runway twice — the Fall/Winter 2023 collection for Bottega Veneta and Diesel last February, and later the Spring/Summer 2024 collection for Rick Owens and Louis Vuitton in June. Additionally, Sadik was named “Model of the Week” by Models.com in May. With over 2,000 followers on his Instagram account, nothing could suggest at first glance that Sadik’s career in the spotlight has been marked by frequent returns to the streets.
And yet, a fund-raising GoFundMe campaign has been launched by Runways to Freedom, an activist charity organization dedicated to helping refugee and migrant models in need, in support of Sadik. With over 10,000 dollars raised in just a few days, this campaign comes after a series of semi-viral tweets shedding light on the model’s current precarious situation. Mari Malek, the founder of Runways to Freedom campaign and the GoFundMe page, explains that Sadik has yet to be compensated for his modeling gigs, which left him without resources and grappling with mental health issues. Malek regrets how Sadi was already displaced as a refugee and emphasizes his urgent need for a safe place to go.
Establishing communication with Sadik and gaining insight into his situation remains difficult at present, such issues coming from the inherent challenges faced by someone experiencing homelessness — the GoFundMe page notes that Sadik is currently without a cell phone.
Sadik’s journey inevitably prompts conversation about the industry. That organizations such as Runways to Freedom even exist not only reveals a lack of support systems for models, but also highlights the issue of fair compensation for individuals from marginalized backgrounds. The fashion world has historically struggled with diversity and other systemic issues, and Sadik’s story proves yet again that progress must be made.
