Yasmin Warsame
Encyclopedia
Yasmin Abshir Warsame (born May 17, 1976) is a Somali
-Canadian
model
and activist
. In 2004, she was named "The Most Alluring Canadian" in a poll by Fashion
magazine.
, Somalia
in 1976. She is a Muslim
. When she was fifteen years old, she moved from Somalia to Toronto
, Canada
with her family. She later studied psychology
and social sciences
at Seneca College
.
In 2000, Warsame began modeling again with Ford Models in Toronto, with a booking for the Sears
catalogue. In the summer of 2002, after switching to Next Models Canada (her mother agent still), she headed for Paris
. Her breakthrough came later that year with a feature for the Italian Vogue
, photographed by Steven Meisel
.
Toronto/Montreal (mother agency), Next
Paris, Next
London, IMG
New York, View Barcelona and Tony Jones Amsterdam. She has been featured on the covers of a.o. Vogue
Italia and American Vogue
, American and British Elle
, and Amica and Surface magazines. She has also modelled both the couture and ready-to-wear
runways for everyone from Christian Dior
to Jean Paul Gaultier. In addition, Warsame has done high-profile advertising campaigns for Valentino couture
, Dolce & Gabbana
, Escada
, Hermès
, Shiseido
, Chanel
, GAP
and H&M
.
In 2007, she also became a judge on Cycle 2
of the Canadian reality television
series, Canada's Next Top Model
.
in Canada.
She currently lives in New York
and Toronto
, and is signed with IMG Models
.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
-Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
. In 2004, she was named "The Most Alluring Canadian" in a poll by Fashion
Fashion (magazine)
Fashion is a Canadian fashion magazine published by St. Joseph Media. Established in 1977, it is currently based in Toronto , publishes 10 issues a year and has a total readership of 1.85 million .The magazine covers international, national and local fashion and beauty trends and news...
magazine.
Biography
Warsame was born in MogadishuMogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
in 1976. She is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. When she was fifteen years old, she moved from Somalia to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with her family. She later studied psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
at Seneca College
Seneca College
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a Canadian public college in the greater Toronto area. Seneca College is currently Canada's largest college with approximately 108,000 students.-History:...
.
In 2000, Warsame began modeling again with Ford Models in Toronto, with a booking for the Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
catalogue. In the summer of 2002, after switching to Next Models Canada (her mother agent still), she headed for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Her breakthrough came later that year with a feature for the Italian Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, photographed by Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel is an American photographer, who obtained popular acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vogue and his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book Sex...
.
Career
Warsame has worked for agencies like SHOK Models (discovered Yasmin), NextNEXT Model Management
NEXT Model Management is a Global modeling agency with offices in New York City, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan and Paris. Founded in 1989 by Faith Kates, the agency is one of the top 3 model agencies in the world...
Toronto/Montreal (mother agency), Next
NEXT Model Management
NEXT Model Management is a Global modeling agency with offices in New York City, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan and Paris. Founded in 1989 by Faith Kates, the agency is one of the top 3 model agencies in the world...
Paris, Next
NEXT Model Management
NEXT Model Management is a Global modeling agency with offices in New York City, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan and Paris. Founded in 1989 by Faith Kates, the agency is one of the top 3 model agencies in the world...
London, IMG
IMG Models
IMG Models is one of the major international modeling agencies, currently representing only female models. Its mother office is in New York City, with branches in Paris, London, Milan and Hong Kong. It is a division of New York, NY-based IMG...
New York, View Barcelona and Tony Jones Amsterdam. She has been featured on the covers of a.o. Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
Italia and American Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, American and British Elle
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
, and Amica and Surface magazines. She has also modelled both the couture and ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is the term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame. Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items which are not clothing.Ready-to-wear has...
runways for everyone from Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
to Jean Paul Gaultier. In addition, Warsame has done high-profile advertising campaigns for Valentino couture
Valentino SpA
Valentino SpA is a clothing company founded in 1959 by Valentino Garavani. Nowadays it is a part of Valentino Fashion Group. New creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli will take Alessandra Facchinetti's seat as creative designer...
, Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
, Escada
Escada
Escada is an international luxury fashion group in women's designer clothing. The company has a presence in about 60 different countries. Its main sales markets are North America, western and eastern Europe and Asia. It filed bankruptcy in August 2009, and was acquired by Megha Mittal, in November...
, Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
, Shiseido
Shiseido
is a major Japanese hair care and cosmetics producer. It is the oldest cosmetics company in the world and the fourth largest cosmetics company in the world.-History:...
, Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, GAP
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
and H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
.
In 2007, she also became a judge on Cycle 2
Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 2
Canada's Next Top Model, Cycle 2 began airing on May 30, 2007. Jay Manuel serves as the host after season 1 host Tricia Helfer left to pursue her acting career. Serving as judges are Jeanne Beker, who is the only returning judge from last season, Paul Alexander, and Yasmin Warsame...
of the Canadian reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series, Canada's Next Top Model
Canada's Next Top Model
Canada's Next Top Model is a Canadian reality show in which female contestants compete for the title "Canada's Next Top Model" and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry...
.
Personal life
Warsame was, and from time to time still is, a volunteer for the Somali Youth CoalitionSomali Youth Coalition
The Somali Youth Coalition is a community reach organization based in Toronto, Canada. It was formed in 2001 when representatives from several child-youth service organizations united to identify and address the needs of and challenges facing the city's Somali youth.-Projects:In 2003, the Trillium...
in Canada.
She currently lives in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and is signed with IMG Models
IMG Models
IMG Models is one of the major international modeling agencies, currently representing only female models. Its mother office is in New York City, with branches in Paris, London, Milan and Hong Kong. It is a division of New York, NY-based IMG...
.