Her career has taken her around the globe, but the one place that has influenced Hammam’s beauty routine the most is home.
Imaan Hammam has been such a fixture in the fashion and beauty industry for the past decade that it’s easy to forget she’s still in her 20s. The model was just 13 years old when she was scouted and 16 when she signed her first contract. Shortly after, Hammam — who was born and raised in Amsterdam to a Moroccan mother and an Egyptian father — moved to New York City, where her career instantly took off. (Like, really took off. Her runway debut was in Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fall 2013 couture show, and a few months later she opened Riccardo Tisci’s Spring 2014 Givenchy show.)
“I grew up on the east side of Amsterdam, which is a neighbourhood known for its diversity,” says Hammam proudly, over a Zoom call. The 27-year-old is chatting from her New York City apartment, which she describes as an eclectic and colourful homage to her heritage. Hammam says Moroccan dishes, rich oud incense and Arabic music are constants in her home and names legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum as one of her favourite artists. “Her lyrics are like poetry, and when I’m in my feelings, she is definitely on my playlist,” says Hammam. “Growing up, I was exposed to so many cultures, and I think that really impacted my view of the world. I see beauty in everything.”
This perspective has certainly taken her far. Earlier this year, Hammam was announced as the newest face of Estée Lauder, making her the brand’s first Afro-Arab ambassador. It’s a full-circle moment for the model. “When I was eight years old, I was shopping with my mom and we saw this big Estée Lauder billboard featuring [Ethiopian model] Liya Kebede,” says Hammam. “I remember thinking, ‘Whoa, this woman kind of looks like me.’” At the time, Kebede had…
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