Somalia 
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Waris Dirie has transitioned from a successful international model to a global human rights activist, advocating for the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM).
Waris Dirie modeled for top brands including Chanel during her successful modeling career. This is mentioned as one of the brands she worked for.
Waris Dirie modeled for top brands such as Levi's during her successful modeling career.
Waris Dirie modeled for top brands such as L'Oréal during her successful modeling career.
Waris Dirie appeared in advertising campaigns for top beauty brands, including Revlon, and was the first African woman with an exclusive contract for a worldwide Revlon campaign, the worldwide biggest cosmetic company.
Waris Dirie was the first black woman to appear in an Oil of Olay advertisement.
In 2009, Waris Dirie cofounded the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, an organization established by French tycoon François-Henri Pinault (CEO of PPR) and his wife, Hollywood actress Salma Hayek.
Waris Dirie campaigned with 'Stop FGM Now' in collaboration with the Berlin agency Heymann Brandt de Gelmini in 2010. This initiative was awarded the prize for 'Best NGO Social Media Campaign' by the German Federal Government.
Waris Dirie collaborated on 'Together for African Women' in 2011, working with the Hamburg agency Jung von Matt and the laundry label Mey.
In March 2019, Waris Dirie partnered with the British lingerie label Coco de Mer for the much-acclaimed 'End FGM' campaign. Dirie posed for the company's collection and was photographed by Rankin. This initiative was awarded the iF Social Impact Prize 2019.
Photographer Rankin staged Waris Dirie for the 'End FGM' campaign with Coco de Mer in March 2019 and produced the campaign's short film. For Dirie, this photo shoot was a comeback as a model.
Soul of Africa shoes announced a creative collaboration with Waris Dirie, acknowledging her as a Somali nomadic family-born supermodel, triathlon runner, and human rights activist. This partnership supported her charity organization, The Desert Flower Foundation.
Vivobarefoot collaborated with Waris Dirie and The Desert Flower Foundation. This partnership aimed to support Dirie's charity organization. Vivobarefoot featured Dirie in their blog to discuss this collaboration.
Waris Dirie supports the Zeitz Foundation, an organization focused on sustainable development and conservation.
Waris Dirie was born on October 21, 1965, into a nomadic family in Galkayo, Somalia. At the age of thirteen, she fled an arranged marriage and made her way to Mogadishu. With the help of an aunt, she secured a position as a maid for her uncle, who was the Somali ambassador to the United Kingdom, and relocated to London. When her uncle’s term ended, Dirie, then illiterate, chose to stay in London illegally, finding work as a cleaner at McDonald’s and enrolling in evening classes to learn English.
At 18, Dirie was discovered by photographer Mike Goss, launching a modeling career that defied initial skepticism about “black models.” She was photographed by Terence Donovan in 1987 for the Pirelli Calendar, alongside Naomi Campbell. Dirie achieved significant success, working for brands such as Chanel, Levi’s, L’Oréal, and Revlon. She became the first black woman to appear in an Oil of Olay advertisement. In 1987, she appeared in a minor role in the James Bond film ‘The Living Daylights.’ Her career progression included appearances on runways in London, Milan, Paris, and New York, and in fashion magazines like Elle, Glamour, and Vogue. A 1995 BBC documentary, ‘A Nomad in New York,’ chronicled her journey.
In 1997, at the peak of her modeling career, Dirie publicly revealed that she had undergone FGM as a child in an interview with Marie Claire. This disclosure marked a turning point, leading to her appointment as a UN special ambassador against FGM. She authored her autobiography, ‘Desert Flower’ (1998), which became an international bestseller, selling over 11 million copies worldwide, and was later adapted into a film in 2009. She founded the Desert Flower Foundation in 2002 to raise awareness and combat FGM globally, and the Desert Dawn Foundation to support schools and clinics in Somalia. Her activism has led to numerous awards, including the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 2007, and she has been instrumental in establishing Desert Flower Centers across Europe for FGM victims and launching educational projects in Sierra Leone.
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