Chanel Iman: Fashion’s Newest “It” Girl

With a name like Chanel Iman, being an ordinary girl simply would not do. At only 18 years old, Chanel Iman Robinson has taken the fashion world by storm. How many 18-year-olds can call Tyra Banks their "mentor," be a Victoria's Secret Angel and be linked to everyone from Kanye West to music producer Ryan Leslie? Iman is certainly cementing her status as fashion's newest rising star.

Her first name is indeed inspired by the legendary Coco Chanel, but her middle name is just a coincidence she shares with supermodel icon, Iman.

With her gorgeous skin and wide-set eyes, the biracial beauty has been seen on the catwalks of Anna Sui, Dolce & Gabbana, Issey Miyake, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Dsquared, Hermès, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Diane von Fürstenberg, Vera Wang, Jean Paul Gaultier and Stella McCartney — just to name a few. Vogue also named her as one of fashion's newest top models.

Iman was recently selected as one of the new crop of Victoria's Secret Angels and strutted her stick-thin frame in the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, making her one of the youngest models in the company's history.

Iman, who is originally from Los Angeles, was raised by her black father and Korean mother. She signed with Ford Models at just 12 years old after coming in third place in the Ford Supermodel of the World competition.

Iman continues to break down racial barriers that most might think do not exist anymore. In fact, no model of color has been able to shake up the industry this much since Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell in the '90s. However, Iman is not the only black model that wants to be on top. She finds competition in her friend and rival Jourdan Dunn.

In an interview for the November issue of Teen Vogue, for which she and Jourdan shared the cover, Iman said, "You're being told, ‘so and 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, ‘OK I want this job, and she wants it too. Which one of us is going to get it?'" The girls describe being pitted against each other just like Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell years ago. However, similar to their older counterparts, Iman and Dunn keep their friendship strong. "The only way to improve the situation is to come together," Iman said.

The young model is not shy about her plans to take over the industry. She says in Teen Vogue, "I don't want to be known as the black model, I want to be recognized as Chanel Iman, a personality. … I want all the contracts. Who doesn't?" she explains, "Five years from now I see myself still working hard to get where I want to be, because I think big."

In the spirit of thinking big, Iman has launched her own Web site, chaneliman.com, where she posts everything from her recent shoots to what inspires her. Iman also boasts 33,712 followers on Twitter @ItsMeChanelIman. Her most recent tweet reads, "In Paris exclusively for Christian Dior! But shhh don't say a word! THE SHOW MUST GO ON!! Crossing my fingers the corset doesn't strangle me." Chanel Iman, just your average 18-year-old supermodel.