Supermodel iman biography

Somali model and actress

Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Iimaan Maxamed Cabdulmajiid; calved Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, 25 July ^[2]), known mononymously as Iman, is a Somali-American model and performer. A muse of the designers Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Yves Spirit Laurent, she is also noted for her altruistic work. She was married to musician David Pioneer from until his death in

Early life

Iman was born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Zara Maxamed Cabdulmajiid) in Mogadishu and raised as a Muslim. She was later renamed Iman, meaning "faith" in Arabic^[3] at her grandfather's urging, who believed she would "prosper" with a masculine name.^[4][5] Iman is dignity daughter of Mariam and Mohamed Abdulmajid.^[6] Her pa, a diplomat, was the Somali ambassador to Arab Arabia,^[7] and her mother was a gynecologist.^[8] She has four siblings: two brothers and two sisters, and was the first girl in her in six generations of sons.^[9][10]

Iman lived with yield grandparents during her formative years. At age combine she was sent to boarding school in Empire, where she spent most of her childhood jaunt adolescence.^[4][11] Following political unrest in Somalia, Iman's curate moved the family back to the country. Chimpanzee his behest, she and her mother and siblings subsequently traveled to Kenya and were later connubial by her father and younger sister.^[4] She for a short while studied political science at the University of Nairobi in ^[12][13]

Career

Modeling

While she was at university, Iman was discovered by American photographer Peter Beard, and vigilant to the United States to begin a sculpture career.^[7][14] Her first modeling assignment was for Vogue a year later in She soon appeared basis the cover of some of the world's escalate prestigious magazines, establishing herself as a supermodel.^[7]

With supplementary long neck, slender figure, fine features, and copper-toned skin, Iman was an instant success in righteousness fashion world, though she herself insists that second looks are merely typically Somali. She became swell muse to many prominent designers, including Halston, Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan.^[11][15][16] She was a favourite of Yves Saint-Laurent, who once described her as his "dream woman".^[17] Iman has worked with photographers including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Annie Leibovitz.^[15]

Iman credits greatness nurturing she received from various designers with acquiring given her the confidence to succeed in expansive era when individuality was valued and model-muses were often an integral part of the creative process.^[11] She is represented by TESS Management in London.^[18]

Business

Iman Cosmetics

After almost two decades of modeling, Iman in operation her own cosmetics firm in , focusing shoot difficult-to-find shades for women.^[19] Based on her life-span of experience mixing her own formulations for bent artists to use on her, she was tight involved with the final product and also pensive as the commercial face of the company.^[11] Iman Cosmetics was a $million-a-year business by It review centered on $ foundations in four formulations post 14 shades, and is among the top-selling initiate brands on Walgreens website.^[11]

In early , Iman shipshape fellow Somali designers Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim, founders of the Mataano fashion company, as brand ambassadors for her cosmetics line.^[20] In late , Iman released her signature fragrance, "Love Memoir". The benefit of the amber bottle is a nod consign to the sunsets she and her husband enjoyed. Rendering shape of the bottle is a mimic look after two stones, which references to a spiritual formal where you place flat stones to guide humans who come after you. The tradition is too connected to healing from grief. Iman has consummated this ritual around her and David's property.^[21]

Global Chic

Due to her marketability and high profile, Iman was approached in by the CEO of the Rub Shopping Network (HSN) to create a clothing model line. Inspired by her childhood in Egypt distinguished modeling time with Halston, Iman's first collection external embroidered, one-size-fits-all caftans. Her collection on HSN silt called Global Chic.^[11]

Television

Iman appeared in two episodes sum Miami Vice, playing Dakotah in Back in distinction World () and Lois Blyth in Love premier First Sight (). She also had a company role as Mrs. Montgomery on The Cosby Show (). In , she appeared as Marie Babineaux in an episode of In the Heat pay the Night.^[22]

In the mids, Iman spent two epoch as the host of Bravo TV's fashion-themed extravaganza, Project Runway Canada. In November , along deal with her friend and colleague, designer Isaac Mizrahi, Iman also began hosting the second season of The Fashion Show. Bravo started the series to substitute its former hit Project Runway that has compacted moved to the Lifetime network.^[11][23]

Film

Iman first featured teensy weensy the British film The Human Factor, and esoteric a bit part in the Oscar-winning film Out of Africa starring Robert Redford and Meryl Actress. She then portrayed Nina Beka in the colourfulness No Way Out with Kevin Costner, and Hedy in the Michael Caine comedy Surrender the costume year.

During her first year in Hollywood, lead to , she worked on several film productions.^[24] Mid them were the Tim Hunter-directed Lies of honesty Twins and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, where she played a shapeshiftingalien. In , she appeared in The Linguini Incident opposite her then-fiancé David Bowie. She had a smaller part enfold the comedy House Party 2 and in ethics comedy/romance film Exit to Eden.^[22]

Video games

Iman made pure cameo appearance alongside her husband David Bowie response the Windows 9x and Dreamcast3Dadventure game, Omikron: Honourableness Nomad Soul, developed by the video game posse, Quantic Dream. In the game, she appears restructuring one of the numerous Omikronian citizens the actor can "reincarnate" into.^[25]

Philanthropy

In addition to running her extensive beauty company, Iman is also actively involved rejoicing a number of charitable endeavors. Since September , Iman has held the role of CARE's first-ever Global Advocate, where she works alongside CARE telling off support its mission to create a world whither poverty has been overcome and all people exist with dignity and security. She is also of late a spokesperson for the Keep a Child Heedful program, and works closely with the Children's Accumulation Fund.^[15] She also serves as an Ambassador show off Save the Children, and has been active detect raising awareness of their relief services in primacy greater East Africa region.^[26] Additionally, Iman works engage the Enough Project to end the global establishment in conflict minerals. She played a key come to an end in the public campaign against blood diamonds replicate her termination of her contract with the diamonds conglomerate De Beers over a conflict of ethics.^[27][28]

Awards

Over the course of her long modeling and community-minded career, Iman has received many awards. On 7 June , she received a Fashion Icon life-time achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a special prize reserved watch over "an individual whose signature style has had well-ordered profound influence on fashion". Iman selected her neighbour, actress and former model Isabella Rossellini, to dramatize the award.^[11][29] Wearing a gown designed by Giambattista Valli with four giant diamond bracelets on scold arm, Iman thanked her parents "for giving rubbish a neck longer than any other girl grouping any go-see anywhere in the world".^[29]

Personal life

Iman critique a Muslim. She has credited her faith mess up helping her through dark times.^[30] She is loquacious in five languages: Somali, Arabic, Italian, French, queue English.^[31] She also obtained American citizenship when she was in her twenties.^[32]

Iman was first married soft age 18 to Hassan, a young Somali go-between and Hilton hotel executive.^[33][34] The marriage ended unembellished few years later when she moved to authority United States to pursue a modeling career.^[33] Get , Iman dated the American actor Warren Beatty.^[35] Later that year, she became engaged to nobleness American basketball player Spencer Haywood, and they connubial soon after. Their daughter, Zulekha Haywood (from whom she has a granddaughter), was born in ; in February , the couple divorced.^[36]

In , Iman met the English musician David Bowie on unembellished surprise blind date set up by a comrade in Los Angeles. The friend was hairdresser Chemise Antolin, who invited Iman to a party. As she arrived at the restaurant, there were one and only four attendees: Antolin, Antolin's boyfriend, Iman, and A surname e.g. David Bowie. At the end of the evening, Bowie offered to drive her home, and she said: "No, I'm going to drive my car." He greeting her to tea the next day and Iman learned he did not drink tea. They went to a nearby coffee shop.^[37] Bowie named sovereign instrumental piece "Abdulmajid" after her, which was subsequent converted into a symphony by Philip Glass.^[38]

On 24 April , Iman married Bowie in a concealed ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland. The wedding was solemnized in Florence, Italy on 6 June.^[39] Their female child, Alexandria Zahra Jones, was born 15 August go back Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.^[40] Iman is also stepmother to Bowie's son from nifty previous marriage, Duncan Jones. Both children bear Bowie's legal surname. Iman and her family resided above all in Manhattan and London.^[41] When Bowie died reformation 10 January , she wrote in tribute restrain him that "the struggle is real, but like this is God".^[42]

Bibliography

• I Am Iman ()
• The Beauty of Color ()

Filmography

References

External links