Iman: The Fashion Icon And First African Model To Grace The Cover Of Vogue
Iman Mohamed Abdulmagid is a Somali-American model, and actress and a muse for many designers like Gianni Versace, Thiery Mugler, Calvin Klien, Donna Karan, and Yves Saint Laurent. She is known mononymously as Iman.
Born on July 25, 1955, as Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, Iman was discovered by an American photographer by name Peter Beard while still a student in Nairobi Kenya and was moved to the United States where she kickstarted her modeling career with her first modelling assignment coming for vogue in 1976.
Iman began her career as a model in 1975, she possesses confidence that has all along made her succeed even in a time when individuality was valued and model-muses were often an integral part of the creative process, an achievement she attributed to the nurturing she had received from various designers. Iman is famous for her elegant and Chic style which consist of well-cut and rich hued garments made of fluid fabrics like satin and silk.
Iman was responsible for the design of IMAN GLOBAL CHIC, a line of handbags, jewelry, and fashion accessories exclusively sold on HSN and HSN.COM, she recently launched IMAN HOME which is a collection of globally influenced fabrics and chic home decor. IMAN GLOBAL CHIC is one of the top two sellers among more than 200 fashion and jewelry brands on HSN.
Iman is known to have revolutionized beauty through the way women with skin color think about beauty, this led her to publish the book: THE BEAUTY OF COLOR, the ultimate beauty guide for skin color. She appeared in 1985 Pirelli Calander.
Iman, an entrepreneur worked with many designers and was the first African models to achieve widespread recognition. Iman was not just a model, and an actress but an advocator and a philanthropist., she is known notably for her heartbreaking campaigns for high-end brands and her role in ‘out of Africa.’ And one outstanding success of hers was founding her cosmetic firm with a focus on difficult-to-find shades for women of color and played an influential role as a pioneer of diversity in fashion industry.
She is the first African model to grace the cover of Vogue in 1979. She received a lifetime FASHION ICON AWARD from the council of fashion designers (CFDA) in 2010. She has worked with many photographers, notably Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Renn, and Annie Liebovitz.
Iman is fluent in five languages: Arabic, Somali, English, French, and Italian. Iman is a mother of two and was married to David Bowie in 1992.