Who is Iman Abdulmajid?

In less than three years, Iman Abdulmajid shot to fame as one of the most highly demanded-supermodels. Prior to arriving in the United States, Iman, a native of Somalia, had never heard of modeling or even laid eyes on a magazine. After leaving the war-torn country of Somalia her family fled to Kenya and became refugees. Iman was a political science student at the University of Nairobi when she was 18 in 1973. To assist with covering her tuition, she also worked as a translator. American Photographer, Peter Beard spotted Iman while she was a student and asked if she had ever been photographed. Hardly knowing Beard, she was reluctant to accept his offer. She would only be photographed by him if he paid her college tuition. He obliged. Iman relocated to New York around two years later to pursue a career in modeling, and she signed with Wilhelmina, one of the world's most prominent modeling agencies. Even though she was only in New York for three days, she was immediately booked. Iman did her first modeling job in 1976, doing an editorial piece for American Vogue. Not long after, she was photographed for Vogue Italia's cover that same year. Abdulmajid has developed one of the most impressive portfolios in the modeling business. While becoming one of their favorite models, she has graced various Vogue covers as well as Harpers Bazaar. Photographers such as Irving Penn, Herb Ritts, and Richard Avedon have worked with her. Iman’s runway appearances also brought her great success. She started to appear regularly on fashion catwalks. Abdulmajid walked the runways for Chloé spring/summer of 1986, Jean Paul Gaultier fall/winter of 1989, Thierry Mugler spring/summer of 1990, and many more. She was an inspirational muse for designers such as Gianni Versace and Calvin Klein, as well as Yves Saint-Laurent, who famously defined her as his "dream woman".

Over the years, her face has been seen practically everywhere. Iman's career expanded beyond modeling to include acting. She portrayed Dakotah in "Back in the World" (1985) and Lois in "Blyth in Love at First Sight" (1988). She also had a guest role as Mrs. Montgomery on "The Cosby Show" (1985). In the middle of the 2000s, Iman hosted Bravo TV's fashion-themed show, “Project Runway Canada”, for two years. In 1990 met rockstar David Bowie on a surprise blind date arranged by a friend in Los Angeles. Bowie ended up being her beloved partner of 24 years. While both of them had significant professions and were individually successful, the couple was surprisingly successful in leading a somewhat regular life. Iman entered the business world a little while after she fell in love with David. Iman was always a sharp businesswoman and has always negotiated her terms with advertising, photographers, and modeling agencies. Abdulmajid introduced her range of cosmetics for ladies of color in 1994. The supermodel was on set for her first US Vogue shoot and the makeup artist didn’t have any foundation for black skin complexions. The limited selection of cosmetics for people with dark skin frustrated her. Her products are now sold all over the world, and the business generates an estimated $25 million in revenue annually.

On June 7, 2010, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented Iman with a Fashion Icon Lifetime Achievement award. She has collaborated with the greatest in the business and genuinely built an incredible reputation for herself as a model. Iman's husband David Bowie unexpectedly passed away in January 2016 following a lengthy battle with liver cancer. The couple had one daughter together, Alexandria Jones. Iman has spoken openly about the heartbreak of losing her husband. She constantly speaks well of him whenever he is mentioned, and she has even stated that she will never marry again. In an interview in 2018, Abdulmajid says “I mentioned my husband the other day with someone, and they said to me: ‘You mean your late husband?’ I said, no, he is always going to be my husband.”   Away from the world of fashion and beauty, Iman has dedicated herself to a number of charitable and humanitarian endeavors. She joined her husband, David Bowie, in combating HIV/AIDS, and became the first worldwide ambassador for the emergency relief organization CARE.

Despite retiring from modeling in 1989, Iman Abdulmajid has achieved great success in other fields. She is a lasting figure in the industry, serving as a role model and inspiration to countless young models. Even though she is now focusing solely on her businesses and charity endeavors, the footprint Iman made as a black supermodel who was incredibly successful in the profession will always be remembered and celebrated.