Fatima Siad ( so, Faadumo Siyaad, ar, فاطمة سياد; born December 17, 1986) is a Somali

fashion model A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...

. Raised in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, she was the last eliminated on ''

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

, Cycle 10''.

Biography

Born in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

to Somali parents, Siad grew up in Somalia with her mother and two sisters. Her parents divorced at a young age. She underwent

female genital cutting Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

when she was seven years old. Her two sisters were killed by the Somali army during the civil war. After her sisters’ deaths, Siad and her mother fled to the United States when she was thirteen for safety. Siad states that she lived in a shack and had low self-esteem when she was younger. While in high school she participated in the

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

Upward Bound TRIO program. She was a Posse Scholar and went to

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United St ...

in 2004. She transferred to

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

to study pre-med and political science. She eventually transferred back to

to finish her education.

Career

Agency affiliation

Siad is currently signed with New York Model Management in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

as well as with Munich Models in

Munich, Germany Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

. She used to be signed with

IMG Models IMG Models is an international modeling agency headquartered in New York City and with additional offices in London, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. It is a subsidiary of the talent management company International Management Group. The comp ...

, Paris, Milan, and London, and Ace Models in

Athens, Greece Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Print work

She has appeared on the cover of Colures Magazine. She has been on the cover of Front Page Style the May 29, 2009 issue. Siad has appeared in editorials for American and Spanish ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'', ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'', Australian and Indonesian ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...

'', ''

Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...

'', and ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

''. She has also appeared in ''

Cosmogirl ''CosmoGirl'', also stylized as ''CosmoGIRL!'', was an American magazine based in New York City, published from 1999 until 2008. The teenage spin-off of ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine, it targeted teenage girls and featured fashion and celebrities. It ...

'', ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...

'', ''

Essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...

'', ''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion".Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides infor ...

'', ''Flaunt'' magazine, and ''

Look Magazine UK ''Look'' was a glossy high street fashion and celebrity weekly magazine for young women that ran for eleven years (2007-18). It was published by TI Media, and edited by Gilly Ferguson. The magazine focused on fashion, high street shopping advice, ...

''. She had a ten-page spread in ''D la Repubblica Delle Donne'', issue 637. Siad has been on the covers of French magazines, ''The Amuser'', issue two and ''Profil Femme'', April 2009. She has walked the runways for

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...

, Hermés,

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...

Dries Van Noten Baron Dries Van Noten (born 12 May 1958 in Antwerp) is a Belgian fashion designer and an eponymous fashion brand, which he co-founded with CEO and business partner Christine Mathys. Early life and education Van Noten was born into a family ...

Max Azria Max Azria (January 1, 1949 – May 6, 2019) was a Tunisian-Jewish-born American fashion designer who founded the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBG MAX AZRIA. Azria was also the designer, chairman and CEO of the BCBG Max Azria Group,Musta ...

Emilia Wickstead Emilia Wickstead (born June 1983) is a New Zealand-born fashion designer based in London, England. In 2014 she won the Red Carpet Designer of the Year Award at the Elle Style Awards, and her clients include Samantha Cameron, and the Princess of W ...

, Moncler Gamme Rouge,

J. Crew J.Crew Group, Inc., is an American multi-brand, multi-channel, specialty retailer. The company offers an assortment of women's, men's, and children's apparel and accessories, including swimwear, outerwear, lounge-wear, bags, sweaters, denim, dr ...

Nanette Lepore Nanette is a feminine given name. By 2013, the name was considered to be on the verge of extinction in the United States; it had been among the top 1000 baby names until 1977, and had reached a peak in usage in 1956. Notable people with the name i ...

Alexandre Vauthier Alexandre Vauthier (born 30 November 1971) is a French people, French haute couture fashion designer. Career He was a student at fashion school ESMOD from 1991 to 1994. After being a trainee for Thierry Mugler, Thierry Mugler Couture in 2013, he ...

Hervé Léger Hervé is a French masculine given name of Breton origin, from the name of the 6th-century Breton Saint Hervé. The common latinization of the name is Herveus (also ''Haerveus''), an early (8th-century) latinization was ''Charivius''. Angliciz ...

bebe Bebe, Bèbè, Bebé, Bébé or BeBe may refer to: People and fictional characters * Bebe (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Bebé, footballer Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (born 1990) * Bebé (f ...

Tracy Reese Tracy Reese (born February 12, 1964) is an American fashion designer who specializes in women's ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, and home fashions such as linens. She is a board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, having b ...

Betsey Johnson Betsey Johnson (born 1942) is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished. She also is known for doing a cartwheel ending in a split at the ...

Anne Valérie Hash Anne Valerie Hash () (born 1971) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Biography She graduated from the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in 1995, and designed for such other labels as Nina Ricci (brand), Nina Ricci, Chloé, and ...

, and St. John. In 2013, Siad had an ad campaign with Wildfox's "We're The Kids in America" Spring Collection and Doncaster's Winter 2013 Collection. In 2014, she likewise had a campaign with Jonathan Simkhai Pre-Fall 2014 collection. She has appeared in advertising campaigns for

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...

, Tiffany & Co.,

Armani Exchange Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...

, BCBG,

Liz Claiborne Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne (March 31, 1929 – June 26, 2007) was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. Her success was built upon stylish yet affordable apparel for career women featuring colorfully tailored separates that cou ...

Express Express or EXPRESS may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * '' Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn * '' The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid Music * ''Express'' ...

Talbots The Talbots, Inc. (doing business as Talbots and stylized as TALBOTS) is an American specialty retailer and direct marketer of women's clothing, shoes and fashion accessories. As of 2018, the company operated 495 Talbots stores in the United S ...

Neiman Marcus Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment compani ...

Urban Decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...

Aveda Aveda Corporation ( ) is an American cosmetics company founded by Horst Rechelbacher, now owned by Estée Lauder Companies, and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Aveda manufactures skin and body care, cosmetics, perfume (internally call ...

Pantene Pantene () is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1945 by Hoffmann-La Roche, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient. It was purchased by Procter ...

, L'Oreal, Avon,

Sephora Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, n ...

Cynthia Rowley Cynthia Rowley (born July 29, 1958) is an American fashion designer based in the Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Early life and education Rowley is a native of Barrington, Illinois a northwestern suburb of Chicago. She is one of three ...

, Clarks and

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

. Siad had a contract with the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

cosmetic company, Arbonne and was one of the new faces for Arbonne FC5, appearing in ads for the products. Since 2019, Fatima has been featured in the beauty brand Chantecaille advertisements.

Runway work

Siad did a presentation for Gemma Kahng at

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a series of international fashion weeks sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, a brand of Daimler AG. Designers featured during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks include notable designers such as Rosenthal Tee, Mary Katrantzou and David ...

Spring/Summer 2009. She also walked in the Dazzle Your Senses fashion show at Club Sol. Siad was included in NYMM's show package for fall/winter 2009

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...

and received a showcard. She walked for Stærk, Boy by Band of Outsiders,

and Michael Angel at

Fall/Winter 2009/2010, for Lublu K. Plastinina in Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010, and for a designer in the Project Runway Season 7 finale. Siad walked for

, Andrew Gn, Moncler Gamme Rogue and

Hermès Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, since ...

during the Spring/Summer 2012 Paris Fashion Week. Siad also walked in Armani's "One Night Only" runway show in Fall 2013. She likewise closed for designer Thierry Colson. In New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014, Siad walked for Emerson by Jackie Fraser-Swan, Kaufmanfranco and Ralph Lauren. She subsequently walked for Ralph Lauren Pre-Fall. Additionally, during New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014, she walked for Mara Hoffman, Sally LaPointe, Tome, Lela Rose, Dennis Basso, and did presentations for Jonathan Simkhai and J. Crew. For London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014, Siad also walked for Emilia Wickstead and Lucas Nascimento.

Television work

''America's Next Top Model''

Siad was the second (after Allison Kuehn) girl to be selected for the tenth cycle of ''

''. The judges eliminated Siad twelfth (since fellow contestant Kimberly Rydzewski quit the competition in episode two making Atalya Slater the first girl to be eliminated) in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

during her fourth bottom two appearance which

Whitney Thompson Whitney Lee Thompson Forrester (born September 26, 1987) is an American plus-size model and is the winner of the tenth cycle of '' America's Next Top Model''. Early life Before her appearance on the show, Thompson worked locally in northern F ...

had survived for the fourth time and eventually won. Over her stay, Siad received three first call-outs and won one challenge, in which she received 50 extra frames for her photo shoot. Siad was criticized for not being able to take direction well. She was given long, chestnut brown extensions as part of her makeover. Siad missed a photo shoot, unable to get travel documents which she allegedly lost in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. That almost cost her the competition, as she landed in the bottom two along with Stacy-Ann Fequiere, but a stronger, improving portfolio saved her. Siad also survived the bottom two over Amis Jenkins and Dominique Reighard. In one interview, Siad stated that she felt that the show was a joke and thought Claire Unabia, Lauren Utter, Katarzyna Dolinska or Anya Rozova should have won or at least not have been eliminated as early as they were. She also stated that the show may be based on politics. Siad was the last girl featured in the ''Top Models in Action'' segment that aired during Cycle 12.

Other

Siad has appeared on the

Tyra Banks Show ''The Tyra Banks Show'', also known as and shortened to ''Tyra'' or ''The Tyra Show'', was an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks that aired from 2005 to 2010. While Banks's show covered a variety of topics, there was a sensationalized focus ...

for episodes titled ''Tyra's Pay It Forward'' with Joanie Dodds, ''Recessionista: Queen of Cheap'' where she modeled clothes with Anya Rozova and Katarzyna Dolinska ''America's Next Top Model Reunion'' for the Cycle 10 Reunion, ''Modelville Introduction'', ''Modelville 2'', ''Modelville 3'', ''Modelville 4'', and ''Tina Knowles'' modeling in a House of Dereon fashion show. Siad starred in

Modelville ''Modelville'' was a spin-off reality series from ''America's Next Top Model'' which aired within ''The Tyra Banks Show''. It featured five former contestants of ''America's Next Top Model'' who competed for a $50,000 spokesperson contract with C ...

and she became the last eliminated in the competition. Siad appeared briefly in the Season 1 finale of Kell on Earth (Episode "Sunny Days") as a hired model for the

DKNY DKNY is a New York City–based fashion house for men and women, founded in 1984 by Donna Karan. History Karan worked for 15 years at Anne Klein, including 10 as its head designer. In 1984 Karan and her late husband Stephan Weiss were offered t ...

Cozy promo shoot.

Other

In addition, in an autobiographical essay she wrote for Orato.com titled ''Vulnerable Beauty: Finding My Voice'', she spoke openly about female genital circumcision and her hopes for changing the practice to make it "less horrendous" for young girls. In October 2015, Siad was ranked by ''

'' as one of the most successful contestants of the ''Top Model'' franchise.

References

External links

*
Siad's Blog on Modelville
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Siad, Fatima 1986 births Living people Ethnic Somali people American people of Somali descent America's Next Top Model contestants Bryn Mawr College alumni People from Mogadishu Somalian expatriates in the United States Somalian female models African-American Muslims