DUBAI: Fall 2020 Fashion Month kicked off in New York this week and it appears that part-Arab model Malika El-Maslouhi’s is off to a great start. The rising star, who was born in Milan to an Italian mother and a Moroccan father, is proving to be a force to be reckoned with since taking the Spring 2020 runways by storm last season — she walked for prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior, Hermes and Moschino to name a few. Now, she’s back to dominate the Fall 2020 ready-to-wear shows, which are currently underway in the Big Apple. The 20-year-old’s season kicked off with Rag & Bone, where she joined the likes of Candace Swanepoel, Grace Bol, Isabelli Fontana and fellow Moroccan model Nora Attal on the runway. Next, she graced the Brandon Maxwell catwalk, wearing a white halterneck top tucked into a reflective skirt and paired with brown knee-length boots and a matching side-strap bag. She wasn’t the only model of Arab descent to strut down the American womenswear label’s runway at Manhattan’s American Museum of Natural History on Saturday. The Milan-based beauty walked alongside part-Palestinian model Bella Hadid, as well as Attal. El-Maslouhi made her modelling debut when she was 18-years-old and has captivated the fashion industry since. In addition to gracing the runways of storied fashion houses that most models can only dream of, the rising fashion star has also appeared in international campaigns for the likes of Jacquemus and Off-White. Meanwhile, she was recently selected as the face of Vogue Arabia’s December 2019 cover, alongside four other models of Arab descent. Indeed, as the fashion industry continues its bid to become more inclusive, Arab women are beginning to make a name for themselves while simultaneously shattering pre-conceived notions and stereotypes. El-Maslouhi — alongside other breakout stars, which include part-Algerian Hayett McCarthy, Moroccan-Italian Rawiyaa Madkouri and Egyptian Leila Karim Greiss — represent a new generation of Middle Eastern and North African women who are breaking barriers. The up-and-comers join more established names such as part-Moroccans Imaan Hammam and Attal as well as US-Dutch-Palestinian sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid.