Iman poses for H&M

The 47-year-old supermodel Iman is the new face of Swedish discount retailer H&M. In recent years the former supermodels role as wife and mother and whose extensive charitable interests have taken over from her modelling career. She doesn't want to model anymore even though she has long been a favourite of fashion's most celebrated photographers including Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, David Bailey and the late Herb Ritts.

Vogue reports she even surprised herself by following in the footsteps of Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Pamela Anderson and appearing on billboards for the international high street chain. "Richard Avedon was shooting it," she said, "I don't want to model anymore, but Avedon asked me to do it." For H&M's ethnic-inspired spring/summer collection, however, she was the first choice.