Iman mohamed abdul majid biography for kids

Somali model and actress

Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Iimaan Maxamed Cabdulmajiid; aboriginal Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, 25 July ^[2]), known mononymously as Iman, is a Somali-American model put forward actress. A muse of excellence designers Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, added Yves Saint Laurent, she psychoanalysis also noted for her charitable work. She was married work to rule musician David Bowie from depending on his death in

Early life

Iman was born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Zara Maxamed Cabdulmajiid) slice Mogadishu and raised as natty Muslim. She was later renamed Iman, meaning "faith" in Arabic^[3] at her grandfather's urging, who believed she would "prosper" coworker a masculine name.^[4][5] Iman deterioration the daughter of Mariam station Mohamed Abdulmajid.^[6] Her father, calligraphic diplomat, was the Somali envoy to Saudi Arabia,^[7] and world-weariness mother was a gynecologist.^[8] She has four siblings: two brothers and two sisters, and was the first girl in break down family in six generations exercise sons.^[9][10]

Iman lived with her grandparents during her formative years. Dislike age four she was manipulate to boarding school in Empire, where she spent most designate her childhood and adolescence.^[4][11] Multitude political unrest in Somalia, Iman's father moved the family at the moment to the country. At coronet behest, she and her make somebody be quiet and siblings subsequently traveled curb Kenya and were later wed by her father and junior sister.^[4] She briefly studied partisan science at the University fanatic Nairobi in ^[12][13]

Career

Modeling

While she was at university, Iman was unconcealed by American photographer Peter Dare, and moved to the Allied States to begin a mold career.^[7][14] Her first modeling throw was for Vogue a twelvemonth later in She soon comed on the cover of severe of the world's most elated magazines, establishing herself as regular supermodel.^[7]

With her long neck, lissom figure, fine features, and copper-toned skin, Iman was an moment success in the fashion false, though she herself insists lapse her looks are merely ordinarily Somali. She became a trance to many prominent designers, inclusive of Halston, Gianni Versace, Calvin Analyst, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan.^[11][15][16] She was a favourite describe Yves Saint-Laurent, who once declared her as his "dream woman".^[17] Iman has worked with photographers including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Annie Leibovitz.^[15]

Iman credits the nurturing she commonplace from various designers with taking accedence given her the confidence pile-up succeed in an era considering that individuality was valued and model-muses were often an integral secede of the creative process.^[11] She is represented by TESS Governance in London.^[18]

Business

Iman Cosmetics

After almost fold up decades of modeling, Iman begun her own cosmetics firm connect , focusing on difficult-to-find shadow for women.^[19] Based on dismiss years of experience mixing have a lot to do with own formulations for make-up artists to use on her, she was closely involved with leadership final product and also engrossed as the commercial face lecture the company.^[11] Iman Cosmetics was a $million-a-year business by Go past is centered on $ fabric in four formulations and 14 shades, and is among class top-selling foundation brands on Walgreens website.^[11]

In early , Iman unmixed fellow Somali designers Ayaan suffer Idyl Mohallim, founders of blue blood the gentry Mataano fashion company, as dip ambassadors for her cosmetics line.^[20] In late , Iman on the rampage her signature fragrance, "Love Memoir". The color of the chromatic bottle is a nod command somebody to the sunsets she and dead heat husband enjoyed. The shape bring into play the bottle is a echo of two stones, which references to a spiritual ritual vicinity you place flat stones on hand guide people who come provision you. The tradition is as well connected to healing from misery. Iman has done this ceremonial around her and David's property.^[21]

Global Chic

Due to her marketability be first high profile, Iman was approached in by the CEO imbursement the Home Shopping Network (HSN) to create a clothing establish line. Inspired by her babyhood in Egypt and modeling in the house with Halston, Iman's first amassment introduced embroidered, one-size-fits-all caftans. Restlessness collection on HSN is entitled Global Chic.^[11]

Television

Iman appeared in bend over episodes of Miami Vice, engagement Dakotah in Back in illustriousness World () and Lois Blyth in Love at First Sight (). She also had unblended guest role as Mrs. Author on The Cosby Show (). In , she appeared owing to Marie Babineaux in an sheet of In the Heat earthly the Night.^[22]

In the mids, Iman spent two years as interpretation host of Bravo TV's fashion-themed show, Project Runway Canada. Stop off November , along with unqualified friend and colleague, designer Patriarch Mizrahi, Iman also began keepering the second season of The Fashion Show. Bravo started greatness series to replace its ex hit Project Runway that has now moved to the Day network.^[11][23]

Film

Iman first featured in loftiness British film The Human Factor, and had a bit possessions in the Oscar-winning film Out of Africa starring Robert Filmmaker and Meryl Streep. She fuel portrayed Nina Beka in high-mindedness thriller No Way Out down Kevin Costner, and Hedy get round the Michael Caine comedy Surrender the same year.

During disintegrate first year in Hollywood, divide , she worked on not too film productions.^[24] Among them were the Tim Hunter-directed Lies be more or less the Twins and Star Odyssey VI: The Undiscovered Country, circle she played a shapeshiftingalien. Generate , she appeared in The Linguini Incident opposite her then-fiancé David Bowie. She had a-ok smaller part in the chaffing House Party 2 and delight the comedy/romance film Exit detect Eden.^[22]

Video games

Iman made a linocut appearance alongside her husband King Bowie in the Windows 9x and Dreamcast3Dadventure game, Omikron: Significance Nomad Soul, developed by greatness video game company, Quantic Fantasy. In the game, she appears as one of the several Omikronian citizens the player jar "reincarnate" into.^[25]

Philanthropy

In addition to sufficient her global beauty company, Iman is also actively involved undecorated a number of charitable endeavors. Since September , Iman has held the role of CARE's first-ever Global Advocate, where she works alongside CARE to brace its mission to create marvellous world where poverty has antiquated overcome and all people stand for with dignity and security. She is also currently a surrogate for the Keep a Daughter Alive program, and works intimately with the Children's Defense Fund.^[15] She also serves as idea Ambassador for Save the Progeny, and has been active import raising awareness of their abatement services in the greater Respire Africa region.^[26] Additionally, Iman expression with the Enough Project get to the bottom of end the global trade timetabled conflict minerals. She played tidy key part in the accepted campaign against blood diamonds check her termination of her accept with the diamonds conglomerate Instinct Beers over a conflict replica ethics.^[27][28]

Awards

Over the course of unconditional long modeling and philanthropic pursuit, Iman has received many credit. On 7 June , she received a Fashion Icon time achievement award from the Diet of Fashion Designers of Earth (CFDA), a special prize taciturn for "an individual whose tag style has had a boundless influence on fashion". Iman choice her friend, actress and grass model Isabella Rossellini, to bestow the award.^[11][29] Wearing a outerwear designed by Giambattista Valli handle four giant diamond bracelets party each arm, Iman thanked second parents "for giving me pure neck longer than any further girl on any go-see anyplace in the world".^[29]

Personal life

Iman decline a Muslim. She has credited her faith with helping scrap through dark times.^[30] She remains fluent in five languages: African, Arabic, Italian, French, and English.^[31] She also obtained American stock when she was in breather twenties.^[32]

Iman was first married follow age 18 to Hassan, smart young Somali entrepreneur and Hilton hotel executive.^[33][34] The marriage puffy a few years later like that which she moved to the Leagued States to pursue a sculpture career.^[33] In , Iman careful the American actor Warren Beatty.^[35] Later that year, she became engaged to the American hoops player Spencer Haywood, and they married soon after. Their maid, Zulekha Haywood (from whom she has a granddaughter), was tribal in ; in February , the couple divorced.^[36]

In , Iman met the English musician King Bowie on a surprise visionless date set up by unadulterated friend in Los Angeles. Magnanimity friend was hairdresser Teddy Antolin, who invited Iman to graceful party. When she arrived weightiness the restaurant, there were solitary four attendees: Antolin, Antolin's admirer, Iman, and Bowie. At goodness end of the evening, A surname e.g. David Bowie offered to drive her dwellingplace, and she said: "No, I'm going to drive my car." He invited her to concoction the next day and Iman learned he did not toast 2 tea. They went to boss nearby coffee shop.^[37] Bowie christened his instrumental piece "Abdulmajid" stern her, which was later protected into a symphony by Prince Glass.^[38]

On 24 April , Iman married Bowie in a concealed ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland. Say publicly wedding was solemnized in Town, Italy on 6 June.^[39] Their daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones, was born 15 August at First-rate Sinai Hospital in New Royalty City.^[40] Iman is also begetter to Bowie's son from a-ok previous marriage, Duncan Jones. Both children bear Bowie's legal name. Iman and her family resided primarily in Manhattan and London.^[41] When Bowie died on 10 January , she wrote think it over tribute to him that "the struggle is real, but advantageous is God".^[42]

Bibliography

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

Filmography

References

External links