Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Yasmeen Ghauri (Urdu: یاسمین غوری )

Born on March 23, 1971 in Montreal, Canada
Yasmeen Ghauri (Urdu: یاسمین غوری ) is a Canadian model of German and Pakistani descent born to a German mother and a Pakistani Muslim father. Her father is a Muslim 'imam' or 'cleric' hailing from Pakistan who opposed her pursuit of modelling as a career.Yasmeen is best known as a Victoria's Secret Angel and was admired as a great runway model.
"There are thousands of girls out there who could be doing my job."

“I think I have a huge ass! I think I could hide a flashlight there and it wouldn't be found for months. Definitely."

"Muslims are not allowed to dance. You are not really supposed to show skin, you are supposed to be covered and be modest and all these things are completely opposite of what I am doing now."

-Yasmeen Ghauri

Part of her success has been her exotic look, the result of a mixed marriage; her father is Pakistani and her mother is German. Yasmeen came along at the right time, when the fashion industry was looking for more than the typical American blonde. At 5'10", she has an incredible physical presence. As a teenager, she described herself as an ugly duckling, but time has certainly changed that statement. Imagine, she even thinks her butt is too big. Yasmeen, we can show you big butts.

Yasmeen was reportedly working at a McDonalds restaurant at the age of 17 when she got noticed by Edward Zacharia, artistic director of the Platine Coiffure, a hair-salon in Montreal. She was walking outside the salon when Edward caught sight of her and brought her in to Joseph Del Tortoon, the owner of the salon. He had been working with models for the past 12 years and knew instantly Yasmeen could be one of the very best.Standing at a height of 5 ft 10 inches with her exquisite looks and slender curvy frame, she had what it takes to be a model but on that particular day she was having a bad hair day. Del Tortoon describes her appearance as being 'messy'.

At the restaurant where she worked, she would often turn up dressed in black from head to toe and was recently named the Employee of the Month.People would usually cite her as one with a rebellious nature,her brown hair was dyed black and her toe-nails polished black as well. Zacharia and Del Tortoon soon transformed her into a fashion-smart teenage urbanite.They told her to join an agency in Montreal where her modelling career took off. Zacharia even went to arrange photo shoots for Yasmeen to appear on some postcards, some of which featured her topless with her hands covering her breasts at the corner of St Lawrence Boulevard, Montreal. The postcards were never distributed because her father disapproved of them.There was a shift in the mentality of the people in the fashion industry and where once the all-American models were the only contenders, more ethnic inclusions to the catwalk were more than welcome. Yasmeen's coffee-coloured skin, brown silky hair and brown eyes were a perfect fit.She would henceforth be called an "exotic" beauty, something Yasmeen would humbly not want to associate with her name. Yasmeen met Carol Bernardi six weeks after she was discovered who found her work at local shows in Montreal and who later introduced her to managers of the New York-based Next Management Co.

Year 1992 was to be her definitive year in modelling when she landed a contract with Victoria’s Secret and became a face of Valentino couture and Versace. She would later walk the controversial Gianni Versace “Bondage” show in Milan which made fashion critics take serious note. Demarchelier photographs her again with Walter Chin for the Italian Vogue towards mid-1992.

photographed by Gilles Bensimon for Elle. But her most controversialShe became the face of Hermès and Lanvin in 1993 and was appearance would be the feature she did for Playboy in May 1994. Soon after appearing on the covers of the Italian Marie Claire, British Vogue photographed by Pamela Hanson and then Harper's Bazaar again photographed by Demarchelier, she appeared on the documentary Unzipped by Isaac Mizrahi on August 11, 1995. She later walked the 1996 annual Victoria’s Secret show, and the spring Christian Dior, John Galliano, and Jean Paul Gaultier shows in Paris to retire in 1997.

Fashion Shows:
Ready to wear - Spring/Summer 1991 {Azzedine Alaia, Chanel, Emanuel Ungaro, Gianni Versace, Helmut Lang, Issey Miyake, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin}

Ready to wear - Spring/Summer 1992 {Alma, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Kart Lagerfeld, Kenzo, Luciano Soprani, Max Mara}

Ready to wear - Autumn/Winter 1997 {Badgley Mischka, Christian Dior, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dries van Noten, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood}

Haute Couture - Autumn/Winter 1997 {Christian Dior, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier}

Ready to wear - Spring/Summer 1998 {Antonio Berardi, Christian Dior, Dirk Bikkembergs, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier}

Haute Couture - Spring/Summer 1998 {Christian Dior}

Height 5' 10" (1,78m)
Hair color Dark brown
Eye color Brown
Measurements (US) 34-24-35 ; (EU) 86.5-61-89
Dress size (US) 6 ; (EU) 36
Shoe size (US) 9 ; (EU) 41
Hobbies: Painting, rollerblading, skiing, playing pool, cycling, playing backgammon
Agencies:'Next', New York 'Marilyn', Paris 'Fashion', Milan 'Select', London

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