Khadija Adam

Short Biography

Khadija "Kate" Adam Ismail was Miss World Kenya 1984, semifinalist and Queen of Africa at Miss World 1984 contest. As is often the case, the pageant was a trampoline to success in another field. For Khadija, it was modelling. Recently, Nairobi's Daily Post caught up with Khadija. Here is an excerpt from the article:27 years after she was crowned Miss Kenya, Khadija Adams remains an epitome of African beauty and is still attracting attention, albeit in another arena -business. Born and brought up in Nyeri, her civil service father died when she was young but, growing up under the watch of her mother, Halima "Gathoni" did not deter her from impressing the judges on the catwalk one evening in November 1984. Khadija's face has graced the world-renown Cosmopolitan and Time Magazines in 1987 and 1989 respectively, a feat any model would yearn for today. Described as "too radical and opinionated" by judges at the Miss World pageant in 1984, Khadija's spirit to go against the grain is still intact. During her time in the limelight of beauty, she had the privilege of enjoying 275 tickets a year to various destinations around the world. For 10 years since 1986, she modelled across the continents mostly between Japan, Italy, New York and Los Angeles before settling in London. "I have dared to dream many times. I have enjoyed wide travel and luxury and I do not, for a moment, regret getting into modelling, " she says. According to Khadija, her most lucrative make-up contract was given by Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) a world leading fashion house in 1986.