Fashion Black History Month: IMAN

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Iman is the daughter of Marian and Mohamed Abdulmajid. Her father was a diplomat and a former Somali ambassador to Saudi Arabia. She has two brothers, Elyas and Feisal, and a sister, Nadia. For her education, Iman attended high school in Egypt and later lived in Kenya, where she studied political science at Nairobi University.

While still at university, Iman was discovered by American photographer Peter Beard, and subsequently moved to the United States to begin a modeling career. Her first modeling assignment was for Vogue. She became the first black female model to be on German Vogue. a year later in 1976. She soon landed some of the most prestigious magazine covers, establishing herself as a supermodel.

With her long neck, tall, thin frame, fine features, naturally straight 

hair, copper-toned skin, and exotic accent, Iman was an instant success in the fashion world, though she herself insists that her looks are merely or typically Somali. She became a muse for many prominent designers, including Halston, Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake, Donna Karan, and, in particular, Yves Saint-Laurent.

During her 14 years as a high fashion model, Iman also worked with many notable photographers, including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Annie Leibovitz. (more pictures after the jump)

After almost two decades of modeling, Iman started her own cosmetics firm in 1994, focusing on difficult-to-find shades for ethnic women. Based on her years of experience mixing her own formulations for make-up artists to use on her, she had a personal hand in the final product and also acted as the commercial face of the company.

As of 2010, Iman Cosmetics is a $25-million-a-year business. It is centered on $14.99 foundations in 4 formulations and 14 shades, and is among the top-selling foundation brands on Walgreens' website

In addition to running her global beauty company, Iman is also actively involved in a number of charitable endeavors. She is currently a spokesperson for the Keep a Child Alive program, and works closely with, among others, the Children's Defense Fund.

In 2004, Iman abruptly ended her contract with the diamond giant De Beers over a conflict of ethics. Concerns that the corporation is exploiting the rights of the Bushmen of Botswana prompted her to step down. Iman criticised the forced relocations of the Bushmen in an interview, saying "It was clear that the Bushmen were being destroyed - you take people from their element and you end up with AIDS, drugs and alcohol in the guise of advancement.