How Iman and Bethann Hardison United to Hold Fashion Accountable for Diversity

Model Iman and activist Bethann Hardison first met at the New York City showroom fashion designer Stephen Burrows. Hardison ran the studio, and the Somalian supermodel was hired for one of her very first modeling gigs in New York.

At the showroom, the other models spoke disparagingly of Iman as photographer Peter Beard created a media storm when he said she descended from African royalty and didn’t speak English.