Malika Louback | |
|---|---|
 Louback in 2020 | |
| Born | Malika Louback-Mohamed 1994or1995(age 29–30) [1] |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) [2] |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Agency |
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Malika Louback-Mohamed is a Djiboutian-French fashion model and engineer. She is the first Djiboutian woman to feature on the cover of Vogue France.
Malika Louback comes from Djibouti. She has two sisters. [4] Her first name means "queen" in Arabic, and her surname means "lioness", in Afar language, one of the languages of Djibouti. [2] Her mother is Moumina Houmed Hassan, who has been Djibouti Minister for Women and the Family since 2016, after a career in non-governmental organizations and the World Health Organization. [5] Her father works as an engineer. [6]
Following in her father's footsteps, Louback has three college degrees: a Diplôme universitaire de technologie in industrial and maintenance engineering, a bachelor’s degree in physics and another degree in materials science engineering. [6] [7] She came to Lyon in 2013, and spent six years there for her studies. [8] She then stayed to model in Paris. [1] Her two sisters also live in France. [4]
Louback had always wanted to be a fashion model as well as an engineer, "to have several strings to my bow", she says, [6] and believes that her engineering experience helps her be more attentive to detail as a model. [1] She takes her fashion inspiration from her mother, grandmother, and other Djiboutian women. [1] [9] She reached out to IMG Models via their website as soon as she had completed her third degree. [6] She got an immediate call-back, and signed with them in September 2019. [6]
In the spring/summer 2020 season Louback walked in shows for Jil Sander in Milan, Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, Chanel and Hermès. [6] [5] Her first magazine cover was Vogue Paris in September 2020; she was the first Djiboutian woman on that cover. [6]
Louback spent the 2020 French pandemic lockdown in a small Paris apartment with roommates. [6] She did the occasional FaceTime modeling shoot. [10]
In 2021, Louback became "the face" of fashion house Loro Piana. [1] Since 2022, she has been one of the top 50 models of Models.com. She received two Model Of The Year (MOTY) nominations; 2021 Model of the Year (Nominee) and 2020 Breakout Star (Nominee) in the Models.com Industry Awards.
She has gone on to feature on a number of magazine covers: Vogue Adria (April 2024), Elle France (September 2023), V Fall (preview 2022), Numero (April 2022), Vogue France (February 2022), Vogue Japan (September 2021) among others. [11]
Louback is also the face of Italian luxury label Loro Piana. [12]