Iman is a Somali-American businessperson, philanthropist, author and former model.

Iman’s first career as a fashion model began in Africa when she was noticed by photographer Peter Beard and while she was a student at the University of Nairobi. Beard’s subsequent portraits of Iman became the genesis of Iman’s modeling career and the catalyst that brought her from Kenya to New York. Beginning in 1976 with a booking from Vogue, for nearly twenty years, as model and as muse, Iman maintained a key place among many of both the 20^th century’s and today’s epochal fashion designers and portrait photographers.

In 1994, frustrated by the absence of adequate beauty products available for women with skin of color, Iman developed and founded IMAN Cosmetics. Having recently retired from modeling, Iman sought to address, fill and correct a glaring void in the beauty market. While IMAN Cosmetics was the first to offer products specifically formulated for skin of color’s distinct needs, one of the brand’s defining and distinguishing hallmark is its philosophy: Because women with skin of color represent many races, cultures and ethnicities, IMAN Cosmetics is designed for African American, Asian, Latina and multi-cultural women with myriad skin tones.

Iman’s first book, entitled I Am Iman (Universe, 2001), was an autobiographical sketchbook of her career and that questions “the unserious business of fashion and beauty and its serious effect on identity.” Her second book, The Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color (Putnam Penguin 2005) examines and pays homage to all of the spectrum’s skin tones: Latina, Black, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Native American, as well as multiple ethnicities.

For years, Iman has worked to support the efforts of an array of humanitarian organizations, including Keep a Child Alive, Save the Children, the Children’s Defense Fund, CARE  and is on the Creative Council of RED.

In addition, Iman has worked to help draw attention to war and famine in eastern Africa, appearing in a BBC documentary with regard and also addressing the United Nations.