By Isake Tom

Born September 19, 1981 in Les Ulis, France, Noemie Lenoir’s exotic look can be credited to her Malagasy mother and French father. There are only three words that come to mind when describing this woman; drop, dead, gorgeous.

Discovered by Ford Models age 16, Lenoir is certainly one of the world’s top black supermodels. Since her debut, Noemie has achieved an impressive level of success, working with some of the best in the industry such as renowned fashion photographers Mario Testino and Peter Linbergh.

Best known for her emerald eyes and crazy curls, Lenoir has produced spreads for VOGUE, Elle, Marie Claire and Sports Illustrated magazines. She’s also scored ad campaigns for L’Oreal, Victoria Secret, Gap, Next and many others. Recently, she was one of the faces for Marks & Spencer, the UK’s high-street retailer and could be spotted on numerous billboards across the UK.

While she is a well known public figure in Europe, to many in this hemisphere she is simply known as Noemie Lenoir the gorgeous actress in Rush Hour 3. Since her acting debut, Lenoir has appeared in several successful French and American films acting alongside the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek. She’s since made the move across the pond to New York City where she is now based.

Recently divorced from French footballer Claude Makele, Noemie is the proud mother of her son Keylan born in 2005.  However, don’t let the charming, girl next door looks fool you, quite known for her strong personality Noemie is never afraid to speak out on the prevalence of racism in the modelling world.