Imaan Hammam on Her Collaboration With Frame and Making “An Impact Off the Runway
The world met Imaan Hammam in late September of 2013. She was 17 years old when she opened the spring 2014 Givenchy show, making her runway debut. Since then, she’s become one of the most in-demand models in fashion, and has made an impact on the industry by speaking out about its historical lack of diversity. Seven years ago when she first stepped onto the catwalk, she was one of few women of color to model for a luxury fashion brand.
Hammam, who is Dutch and born to a Moroccan mother and Egyptian father, has been outspoken about the struggles she has faced in her own career. She’s currently an ambassador for the organization She’s the First, which is a worldwide grassroots organization that helps empower young women through education.
Now, the
Vogue cover girl is spreading her message of inclusion by harnessing her own creativity. She’s partnered with
Frame to design a signature capsule collection of 20 pieces that reflect not only her cool, model-off-duty style, but also her passion for her cause. The words
freedom,
diversity,
youth, and
empowerment are printed in bold font on a bright orange and white hoodies. Other pieces in the capsule, which is available for pre-order today on the Frame website, include double-breasted suiting sets, a long black leather blazer, vintage-wash jeans and a matching jacket, and denim shorts cutoff at the knee.
“I’m excited to launch this during New York Fashion Week, but I’m especially proud that it’s launching during Black History Month.” The campaign features a few of her friends, including fellow models Dilone and Cindy Bruna. Hammam had carte blanche when it came to conceptualizing the creative direction for the visuals and designing the line. Frame founders Erik Torstensson and Jens Grede “allowed me to be very hands on and capture my style and vision,” she says. “I think of myself as having three distinct looks: cool, sexy, smart. The pieces I design reflect that and also most of the collection is unisex because I love to mix menswear into my everyday looks.”
Hammam credits her seamstress mom for teaching her how to sew when she was a kid. But again, it was her cause that came first when agreeing to partner with Frame. Hammam hopes that others will be inspired to fight for more diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry, since she believes “progress is finally happening now that different types of beauty are being featured in magazines and celebrated in the industry. But, I would still love to see more women photographers and have more people of color both on and off the runway.”
She remembers that when she first started working in the business “people didn’t know what to do with my hair and they didn’t know which foundation to use on my dark skin.” She adds, “I got passed over for jobs because I was considered too ‘ethnic looking.’ Seven years later, diversity is being celebrated. Now, I have more opportunities, not only as a model but also I have the chance to collaborate as a designer. Working on this collection was so exciting because I got to have an impact off the runway to inspire others to share their voice and what they stand for.”
