In many ways, it was Iman who represented the entry of non-white models in the western mainstream. Quinlingual and the daughter of a Somali diplomat, she was discovered by photographer Peter Beard while she attended Nairobi University in the 1970s. However, it might be a mistake to credit Iman as a pioneer, though she did a huge part in paving the way for better representation of women of colour in the mass media.

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