This week, we honor classic beauty Iman as our Thursday Throwback.
This supermodel legend turned beauty mogul is one of the most recognizable faces within the fashion industry. The Somalia native's strikingly beautiful features of distinctive bone structure, high forehead, and gorgeously long neck graced the couture covers of Vogue and the runways of Yves Saint Laurent who even devoted an entire collection to her called "The African Queen." Later becoming a self made cosmetics success, Iman proves that brains and beauty make one legendary combination.
Iman's career started after being spotted on the streets of Nairobi by a fashion photographer. Her life as a college student quickly changed from bookworm to jet setter. For well over forty years, Iman has been the iconic face of beauty and grace. Despite her supermodel status, however, Iman realized there were still some very important things missing for her on the job while getting ready for a shoot.
In an interview for Black Enterprise, the runway legend explained her frustration when it came to finding the right makeup for her complexion. "I would go to cosmetics counters and buy two or three foundations and powders, and then go home and mix them before I came up with something suitable for my undertones," she explained. Iman would then decide to create her own line of cosmetics for women of color, grossing $30 million in sales in just the first few years in operation.
Now 58, Iman is still the epitome of ageless beauty. Her line continues to flourish and she is often sought after for her secrets to flawless skin. Of the many tips Iman offers up, she is famous for recommending a skin care regimen be started early in life. "What you take care of in your twenties, is what you're going to inherit in your sixties," the model explained. "This has been a forty-year romance with my skin and I have taken care of it religiously," Iman said. Beautiful and wise!
Check out the vidoes below to hear more from Iman herself on her journey to runway royalty and to also see her doing her thing during a few throwback fashion shows. Let us know if you've tried the world-renonwed Iman Cosmetics line with a note below!
