In an industry that still clings tightly to binaries and carefully curated archetypes, Elton Ilirjani, professionally known as HANKO, is not simply participating. They are recalibrating the room. The New York–based model, activist, and CEO has built a career by stepping into spaces that were not designed with them in mind and then expanding those spaces for others.
A fixture on the global fashion week circuit, HANKO has walked for designers including Jimmy Choo, Malan Breton, Greedilous, PoetLab, and BESFXXK, bringing theatrical precision and unapologetic presence to every runway. But the visual impact is only the surface. Beyond the shows and street style moments is the founder of the Dignity Global Foundation and the CEO of The HeadHunter Group Inc., a global executive search firm committed to equity in hiring and leadership.
With more than 11 million Instagram followers and a growing media footprint, HANKO operates at the intersection of fashion, power, and cultural accountability. Visibility, for them, is not aesthetic. It is strategic.
We sat down with Elton Ilirjani to discuss fashion as activism, leadership without dilution, and what it truly means to take up space in 2026. Below, in their own words.
- Your runway presence is often described as performance art as much as fashion. How do you see the relationship between modeling and artistic expression, and what inspired you to blend the two?
I believe that Fashion is art, not less! Nowadays fashion is going towards presenting the outfits without the human behavior towards the created outfit and this is sad! On the other hand, with such chaotic times we are living in, the models are seen more as sexual objects and not as strong artists and the reasons are many! We need another “Me Too” movement but this time in the fashion industry! Before being a model I am an artist! I am poet who wrote two books and I don’t separate the poetry from each runway! Art can bring to fashion thoughtfulness and people can see fashion as a freedom of expression and inclusion! Fashion is freedom coming through art! I am being inspired by poetry and each runway walk for me is different a short, beautiful, meaningful poetry!
- You’ve walked runways from New York to Paris, London, Tokyo, among others. In your view, how is the fashion world evolving in terms of inclusivity and diversity?
Yes, Asia is more advanced nowadays in fashion and this has helped my ability to be updated with the new trends and satisfy the needs of the public! The fashion world has to many streams! There is the traditional one that is centered in Paris, and then the creative ones based in Seoul and Tokyo! New York City stands in between and this is impressive! The new trends tend to be more inclusive and diverse and this is the future of fashion in my point of view! Europe has to upgrade and leave behind the past and the mentality that fashion can continue traditionally! This will liberate all including models, designers, and most of all, the public!
- You’ve made bold statements through specific runway moments that go beyond clothing. What message are you trying to send with these performances?
The message is clear: Remove once and for all the sexuality from runway! No sex on the runway! Modeling is not for the models to look sexy and to be admired for being sexy. But actually, the contrary. It should be in full service to the outfits and creations! And free from racism, sexism, political agendas, and body shaming, and above all, standing firmly against authoritarianism! Dictators do not like fashion, because fashion is freedom!
- As someone with a significant global following, how do you balance commercial opportunities with your commitment to activism and artistic integrity?
Is simpler than what we think! It has only one name and we usually forget it! LOVE! Love is the highest and strongest energy on the universe! If one has that has the universe and everything is doable!
- Sustainability is increasingly important in fashion. How do you see environmental consciousness intersecting with artistic fashion and inclusive representation?
Saving the planet is saving our life! Art is feeding life and the connection between sustainability and art is existential! There is no art without environmental consciousness! There is no life without taking care of the planet and each other!
- Looking at the broader industry today, where do you think fashion is getting it right right now, and where is it still falling short?
Fashion needs more creativity and freedom! I think that until now the limitless desire for power and money has killed fashion! Models in general aren’t happy in this profession and they are paid less and less, and this is because the industry sees models as “hangers.” If you are unique, you are at risk of finding yourself out of the industry! There is hope in a few countries where they see fashion as a freedom of expression and also as inclusion for all! Ideas are falling short and the desire to “hunt” beautiful girls only for their bodies and faces is nothing but sexism and objectifying women! Women are equal to men and they should never be considered objects, and most importantly, the fashion industry should never be used as a venue to objectify women and use and abuse them in the future!
- You’ve spoken about fashion as a tool for advancing human rights. Can you share a moment in your career where fashion directly helped elevate the conversation around equality or social acceptance?
I go all around the world and my fashion jobs, and it is in fact about human rights activism! Fashion helps people stop prejudging and creating stereotypes. All people are beautiful, men, women, gays, lesbians, transgenders, all! The fashion runway is for all and isn’t only for some powerful people that unfortunately try to stereotype fashion. Many young girls and boys get inspired by me on my trips and they say that I have inspired them and they are getting stronger and stronger on the runway! Your mentality makes you stronger and not trying to copy some special walking styles of some successful models on the past, no matter how successful they may have been. It’s important to have uniqueness and individuality!
- Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future, creatively or personally?
We are right now on the worst times with so much hate and sad news! I am sure that together we can pass this moment and lead towards love and freedom! Let’s do more art through fashion and inspire an entire generation that is being suppressed and misused and abused! Personally, I will tell a poem with every runway I do and I will try my best to convince as many designers as I can to speak the language of inclusion and respect for all of humankind!
