Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid

Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid, 25 July 1955 ), known mononymously as Iman, is a Somali–American supermodel, actress, and entrepreneur. A muse of the designers Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Yves Saint Laurent, she is also noted for her philanthropic work. She was married to the rock musician David Bowie from 1992 until his death in 2016. Iman was born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid (Somali: Zara Maxamed Cabdulmajiid) in Mogadishu, Somalia and raised as a Muslim. She was later renamed Iman, meaning "faith" in Arabic at her grandfather's urging, who believed she would "prosper" with a masculine name. Iman is the daughter of Mariam and Mohamed Abdulmajid. Her father, a diplomat, was the Somali ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and her mother was a gynecologist. She has four siblings: two brothers and two sisters, and was the first girl in her family in six generations of sons. Iman lived with her grandparents during her formative years. At age four she was sent to boarding school in Egypt, where she spent most of her childhood and adolescence.Following political unrest in Somalia, Iman's father moved the family back to the country. At his behest, she and her mother and siblings subsequently traveled to Kenya and were later joined by her father and younger sister. She briefly studied political science at the University of Nairobi in 1975.