Tomiko Fraser

Tomiko Fraser, an American fashion model and actress born in the Bronx, started modeling later than most. A scout spotted her at 25 when she was a waitress at Lola in the Flatiron District, and her earliest assignments included work for Seventeen Magazine. A contract with Ford Models followed, and she modeled on Chanel's runway in Paris. From 2001 to 2007 she was the face of Maybelline and the brand's first African-American model. Campaigns for Essence, Target, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, J.Crew and Liz Claiborne were also part of her modeling work, and Mario Testino photographed her for US Vogue. She was on Flare's cover in 1999. Turning to acting, she made her debut as a fashion model in Head Over Heels (2001) with Freddie Prinze Jr. She also appeared in Monster-in-Law (2005), Soul Food and The Game, and in 2011 she judged Model Latina: Las Vegas.