Naima Mora (born March 1, 1984) is an American fashion model and the winner of Cycle 4 of America's Next Top Model.

Biography

Early life

Naima Mora was born on March 1, 1984 in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of African American, talented jazz vocalist and entrepreneur Theresa Mora & Mexican jazz percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett. Her paternal grandparents are painter Francisco Mora and sculptress, painter and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett. She is the inspiration for her grandmother's 2001 black marble bust entitled Naima. Catlett described it as:

Her father is Mexican, Native American, African-American, while her mother is Irish and African-American.  She was named after the John Coltrane song Naima. Mora has 5 sisters, including her identical twin, Nia, who is a photographer. Her older sister, Ife Mora (born 1977), is a vocalist in the trip-hop/experimental rock group livemas.

Mora grew up near West McNichols and Schaefer on Detroit's northwest side and attended Bates Academy for middle school. Mora graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit in 2002. A serious student of ballet, Mora attended Detroit's Ballet Renaissance and was enrolled in American Ballet Theatre's Detroit summer programme.

Mora decided to audition for America"s Next Top Model at the behest of a scout that visited her at her job.

America's Next Top Model

With her mohawk and introverted personality, Mora was originally thought to be a long-shot to walk away with the title of America"s Next Top Model. Mora also received all the covergirl of the week's. Though her earlier photographs were not as strong as runner-up Kahlen Rondot, the judges were swayed by Mora's final performance on the catwalk. Tyra Banks, in particular, felt that Kahlen was "the girl who did excellent during the semester and kind of failed the final exam," while Mora was "the girl who did fair during the semester but killed her final exam." Her win consisted of a fashion spread in Elle, a contract with Ford Models and a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics. It was also revealed in a Top Model challenge, that Mora is a vegetarian. She was recently voted as one of the most memorable contestants by AOL.

Modeling/Acting career/Literary Career

On September 3, 2012 she released her first book - Naima Mora's Model Behavior - an iBook on iTunes, a 70 page multi-media book as part of her new Model Life Series (TM), published by Possibility Publishing & Entertainment. She has been seen on television as a guest on The Tyra Banks Show, on the second season premiere of Veronica Mars, and in a CoverGirl commercial with Yoanna House.

Mora and Cycle 3's Ann Markley were Trophy Girls at the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards. Mora also served as a judge at the Miss Teen USA Pageant in 2005. Mora was a guest host at the Ramapo College Enerve Couture Fashion Show in Spring 2006.

Mora has done print modelling for CoverGirl, ELLE Magazine, Fuego Magazine, US Weekly Magazine, Radaar Magazine, IN Touch Magazine, Star Magazine, Teen People Magazine, Split Clothing, and Jazz Album Samsung. 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 modelled with her sisters twice: with her sister, Ife, for iTunes and with her twin, Nia, for Cycle 2's Camille McDonald's lingerie line, Lingerwear.

In 2006, she wrapped up filming on an independent film called Sarbanes-Oxley and made an appearance in a music video for TV on the Radio"s "Wolf Like Me."

In 2007, she was on the cover of U&U magazine and Uzuri magazine and was photographed by Romer Pedrome and Derek Blanks.

In 2008, she had a cover and editorial in Vicious magazine, and she signed with 301 Model Management in Miami and Basic Model Management in New York City. She got a showcard for Fashion Week SS09 and walked in the Project Runway Finale for designer Joe Farris.

Mora was the vocalist for the unsigned band "Chewing Pics". Their EP, "Tarantula" was released on March 10, 2008. As of Fall 2009 the group disbanded.

Mora is currently singing for the band "Galaxy of Tar". In May 2010, they released a two-song single, "Volatile Glass".

Beginning of 2013, Galaxy of Tar presently debuts the single, 1% of Static from their sophomore album, Barreta. (February 19, 2013).

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