PC: Textures are part of beauty. The time that I was coming up, Black [and] textured hair, was rooted in something that was not an appreciated factor of beauty. We appreciate beauty in different decades according to people’s mindset [and] the industry was not used to hair that was very expressive and natural. And there were no products for our hair at that time, there was no way for me to be that girl in the hair commercial like there is now. I remember, when the hair products and makeup would come out—there wasn’t any makeup for girls that had melanin, so we had to make our own with brown eyeshadows that we would mix with neutral colors to make foundation. We had to be very inventive for beauty, according to how society was viewing it. I grew up in America, you grew up in Europe, right? In Amsterdam?

IH: Yes, I was born in Amsterdam. I have a Moroccan mother and an Egyptian father, who met in Amsterdam. But your story [and] experiences, I can relate to. Even when I started in 2016, nobody knew what to do with my hair—they didn’t have Black hairstylists or makeup artists that knew how to deal with my hair or skin. It was tough, they would straighten my hair until it was burnt! After a couple of seasons, I was tired of people not knowing what to do with my hair. So, I started rocking my hair naturally. And people were surprised, like, “Oh my God! Is that your hair?” I was like, “Yes, you guys have been messing it up!” It took me a while to embrace my natural texture, [but] I’m so glad I did.

PC: That’s an amazing thing, you were brave. Every decade has its moment where something blooms. You were blooming, you needed to have that place in fashion. You also started very young, right?

IH: I was scouted when I was 13 years old. From 13 to 16, I was training myself. Before signing, my agent at the time was like, “Imaan, you have three years. I want you to walk with heels, look at magazines, and do facial expressions.” So I trained myself and at 16, I [signed] a contract. My agent was like, “Okay, you’re ready to go to Paris for your first fashion week.”

PC: And all of these experiences you’ve had, is there one that sticks out? That made you feel like, “Ah, I finally made it.”

IH: I walked this incredible show for Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy in 2016. After that show, my career took off out of nowhere. It was huge for me because I didn’t really know the industry then. My agent told me, “We’re gonna send you to Paris [and] you’re gonna walk a bunch of shows.” And so I did a couple shows [and] I was lucky to meet Riccardo Tisci. And I remember at the fitting, he walked over to me, and he was like, “Imaan, we’re gonna try some looks on you.” I wore the first dress, and I walked out. And then they started fitting the dress onto my body and Riccardo was like, ‘So you know that you’re going to open the show, right?’ And I was like, ‘Really?’ I was in shock. I remember backstage, I could feel my heart in my throat. That was something I will never, ever forget. That’s also a very special moment because that launched my career. Then, I got booked by Vogue for a shoot in Hawaii. I was super nervous, I was shaking. It was my first Vogue shoot, at the most beautiful black beach in Maui. And when I arrived there, that’s when I realized. Like, “Oh my God, I’m so lucky to be here, this is something I have to take seriously, I want this.”

PC: That’s when you thought “This is what makes modeling so special.” Fashion allows us to be part of something bigger than we can imagine. For you, what’s the best advice you can give someone starting out?

IH: Find something that inspires you, something in your soul. When I walk onto a shoot, I’m able to use my body in ways another girl does not. It’s about truly being yourself, but also finding what you’re good at, highlighting that, and sharing that with the world. That makes you authentic and makes people recognize you because you have something different.

PC: The way up is a blessing and when you get to the top, it’s a blessing. Keep going past that glass ceiling that may have been there at one point. It’s important to share your heart and experience to someone that’s coming up. I’m proud of you and I want you to keep going.

IH: Thank you for opening so many doors for women of color. I can feel it through the phone, right now. I will continue to follow my path and do amazing things for people and our communities. It’s been an honor, the highlight of my day!

PC: Mine, too!

This cover story appears in V139, the Supermodel, Superhero issue: now available for purchase!