Background and career
Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Iimaan Maxamed Cabdulmajiid; Arabic: إيمان محمد عبد المجيد; born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, 25 July 1955), known mononymously as Iman, is a Somali-American model and actress. A muse of the designers Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Yves Saint Laurent, she is also noted for her philanthropic work. Since her debut in 1975, she rose to the pinnacle of global fashion, establishing herself as one of the world’s most iconic models. She was married to American professional basketball player Spencer Haywood from 1977 to 1987 and British musician David Bowie from 1992 until his death in 2016.
Iman Mohamed was born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Zara Maxamed Cabdulmajiid; Arabic: زارا محمد عبد المجيد) in Mogadishu and raised as a Muslim. She was later renamed Iman, meaning "faith" in Arabic at her grandfather's urging, who believed she would "prosper" with a masculine name. Iman is the daughter of Mariam and Mohamed Abdulmajid. Her father, a diplomat, was the Somali ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and her mother was a gynecologist. She has four siblings: two brothers and two sisters, and was the first girl in her paternal family in six generations of sons.
Iman Mohamed lived with her grandparents during her formative years. At age four she was sent to boarding school in Egypt, where she spent most of her childhood and adolescence. Following political unrest in Somalia, Iman's father moved the family back to the country. At his behest, she and her mother and siblings subsequently traveled to Kenya and were later joined by her father and younger sister. She briefly studied political science at the University of Nairobi in 1975.
While she was at university, Iman Mohamed was discovered by American photographer Peter Beard and moved to the United States to begin a modeling career. Her first modeling assignment was for Vogue a year later in 1976. She soon appeared on the cover of some of the world's most prestigious magazines, establishing herself as a supermodel. In 1977, she starred in the first Black woman-centered Revlon campaign for the brand's Polished Ambers collection alongside Tamara Dobson, Jerri Haywood, Peggy Dillard, and Coco Mitchell.
With her long neck, slender figure, fine features, and copper-toned skin, Iman Mohamed was an instant success in the fashion world, though she herself insists that her looks are merely typically Somali. She became a muse to many prominent designers, including Halston, Gianni Versace, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake and Donna Karan. She was a favourite of Yves Saint-Laurent, who once described her as his "dream woman". Iman has worked with photographers including Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Annie Leibovitz.
How Iman makes money
Iman Mohamed Cosmetics was a $25-million-a-year business by 2010.
