YASMEEN GHAURI
In case you don’t remember Yasmeen Ghauri, she enjoyed fame in the early 1990s as a supermodel. Her first major cover was in Elle Magazine, and soon after, she became the face of Chanel. She was discovered while working at McDonald’s, where she was named the Employee of the Month. Initially considered too “ethnic” by casting directors in Canada, she found success abroad and walked the runways of Milan, Paris, and New York.
As much as she defied the objections of her father in her pursuit of modeling, Ghauri also defied the fashion scene’s idealization of blonde-haired models. She helped usher in a more diverse ideal that would change the standards of fashion. The Pakistani-German model from Quebec retired from the industry in 1997 to focus on other investments beyond runways and red carpets. Today, she still stands out as a pioneer.