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Who is Chanel Iman?  At 19 years old & with neverending gams, she is one of the most well-known & successful models of the moment.  She signed with Ford in 2006, landed her first Vogue cover at 16, & regularly books the most prestigious shows at fashion week.  With an African American father & a half-Korean mother, she has her own very distinctive look.

Chanel Iman recently fulfilled one of her all-time modeling goals: to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel.  The highly-coveted positions are only offered to top models.  Chanel is one of five new Angels, joining Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Marisa Miller & Doutzen Kroes.  She’ll be joining them in the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show, which happens in New York City on November 19th & is broadcast globally.

What makes her so charming?  It’s a combination of her personality — of which she has plenty — & the fact that she has remained grounded.  She is a delightful contradiction in terms.  She caught Anna Wintour’s attention when she winked at her during a runway show, but her mother still cuts her hair & keeps her on a budget of $5,000 a month.  Her favorite food is chicken & waffles, & despite being constantly surrounded by the best clothing the world has to offer, her favorite places to shop are flea markets & Forever 21.

Some people say that part of Chanel’s success is surely attributed to her mother, who, at the start of her career, was by her side 24/7.  It’s just one more thing she has in common with Tyra Banks, whose mother was also a constant presence at every fashion event.  In fact, Banks took the young model out for lunch & was so impressed that she offered to be her mentor.

It’s not all (gluten-free) bread & roses, though.  Chanel Iman & Jourdan Dunn — another black model at the top of her game — have been plagued by the same problems that dogged Tyra Banks & Naomi Campbell in the 90’s.  Explaining the situation, Chanel said, “You’re being told, ‘So & so is only booking one black girl. It’s either you or Jourdan,’ So we’ll be sitting in the lobby looking at each other like, ‘Okay, I want this job, & she wants it too. Which one of us is going to get it?’”  But a Vogue shoot ended their short-lived rift.  “The only way to improve the situation is to come together.”

Words by Gala Darling

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