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
I LOVE Chanel Iman! I’m so sad to hear that some shows only book one blac girl…. that is so backwards. I hope the situation changes asap!
*black
She looks fresh and pretty, I like her eyes and smile, awesome.
Jourdan Dunn is not an African American woman, she’s British. Black does not equal African American and it sounds very ignorant when the term is used as such. This post doesn’t say anything about how she’s such a supermodel, nor does it really say anything that can’t be googled in a few seconds.
Sorry Lala…we stand corrected.
Why Are The Sentences Like This?!
Glad the caps issue was worked out! Websites can be so finicky sometimes
Chanel is so quirky, especially for a supermodel. I spotted her at fashion week this fall coming out of a tent and felt super paparrazi-esque, haha.
Chanel Iman is one supermodel to look out for. I love watching her on the runway.
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