Naima Mora

Naima Mora
Mora in 2011
Born	(1984-03-01)March 1, 1984 Detroit, Michigan,U.S.
Modeling information
Height	5 ft 9.5 in (177 cm)
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Agency	State Management Agency

Naima Mora(born March 1, 1984)is an Americanfashion modeland the winner ofCycle 4ofAmerica's Next Top Model.

Biography

Early life

Mora was born inDetroit,Michigan,the daughter ofjazzvocalist and entrepreneur Theresa Mora and jazzpercussionistFrancisco Mora Catlett. Her paternal grandparents were Mexican muralistFrancisco Moraand sculptor, painter, and printmakerElizabeth Catlett.She is the inspiration for her grandmother's 2001 black marble bust entitledNaima.Catlett described it as:

That black marble head, Naima: we have twin granddaughters who came to stay with us one summer, they were studying Spanish. I kept looking at one of them, who has a very dynamic personality. I thought I would like to do a head of her. And then it was the shape of her hair with a knot at the back. It was a whole different shape. She posed for me a little bit, to get the general shape of it. She has a little bump in her nose that I wanted to put in.

Her father is halfMexicanand halfAfrican-American;her mother isIrishand African-American.She was named after theJohn Coltranesong "Naima".Mora has five sisters, including her identical twin, Nia, who is a photographer. Her older sister, Ife Sanchez Mora (born 1977), is a singer/ songwriter and was signed toTricky'sMassive Attacklabel Durban Poison/ DreamWorks S.K.G in the trip-hop group, The Autumn People and is now a solo rock singer Ife Sanchez Mora and part of duet Ife & Danny and was the wife of chefAaron Sanchez.

Mora grew up near West McNichols and Schaefer on Detroit's northwest side and attended Bates Academy for middle school. She graduated fromCass Technical High Schoolin Detroit in 2002. A seriousballetstudent, Mora attended Detroit's Ballet Renaissance and was enrolled in American Ballet Theatre's Detroit summer program.

Mora practicesNichiren Buddhismand is an active member of theSoka Gakkai International.In 2013, she gave aTed Talkdescribing her upbringing and the influence of Buddhism on her career.

WinningAmerica's Next Top Model

Mora was the fifth woman chosen for the top fourteen to compete on the UPN reality television showAmerica's Next Top Model, Cycle 4.Over her stay, she was voted Covergirl of the Week ten times in a row, won four challenges, and received two first call-outs. Mora had one appearance in the bottom two where she survived over eventualCycle 17: All Starscontestant, Brittany Brower. In the final judging, the judges selected Mora over the runner-up Kahlen Rondot.

Career

On September 3, 2012, she released theiBookNaima Mora's Model Behavior,published by Possibility Publishing & Entertainment. She has been seen on television as a guest onThe Tyra Banks Show,on the second-season premiere ofVeronica Mars,and in aCoverGirlcommercial withYoanna House.

Mora andCycle 3's Ann Markley were Trophy Girls at the 2005 PrimetimeEmmyAwards.Mora also served as a judge at theMiss Teen USAPageant in 2005.

Mora has done print modeling forCoverGirl,ELLEMagazine,FuegoMagazine,Us WeeklyMagazine,Radar,In Touch,Star,Teen People,Split Clothing, and elsewhere.Mora's runway shows include Christopher Deane Spring 2006 Collection, Gharani Strok Fall 2005, Carlos Miele Fashion Show, Walmart and ELLEgirl Presents Dare To Be You Spring 2006, Fashion Comedy Style 2005 (Charity Event), and New York Fashion Week 2007.She has modeled with her sisters twice: with her sister, Ife, for iTunes and with her twin, Nia, forCycle 2'sCamille McDonald's lingerie line, Lingerwear.

In 2006, she completed filming a role in the independent filmSarbanes-Oxleyand made an appearance in a music video forTV on the Radio's "Wolf Like Me." The following year, she was on the cover ofU&Umagazine andUzurimagazine and was photographed by Romer Pedrome and Derek Blanks. In 2008, she had a cover and editorial inViciousmagazine, and she signed with 301 Model Management inMiamiand Basic Model Management in New York City. She got a showcard for Fashion Week SS09 and walked in theProject RunwayFinale for designer Joe Farris. As of 2021,Mora continued modeling, and was signed with EMG Models.

Mora was the vocalist for the unsigned band Chewing Pics,and later with the band Galaxy of Tar.

With director Marishka S. Phillips, Mora wrote a play,The Amazing Adventures of a Woman in Need,about three characters who are each a part of Mora's own inner dialogue. In August 2021, MPTP Productions announced an Off-Broadway performance of the play, with Mora performing as the narrator, scheduled for October 2021.

External links

• Naima MoraatFashion Model Directory
• Naima MoraatIMDb