Tyrone Edmond

In Haiti, Edmond lived a difficult childhood, struggling day-to-day in a highly impoverished situation in the shantytowns of Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince, where he grew up. Early in his childhood, Tyrone attended a Seventh-day Adventist school of Carrefour in the capital. At the age of nine, Edmond's mother died resulting in him being adopted by an American missionary family and eventually emigrating to the United States at age fifteen.^[2]

Edmond is one of the premier male models to gain international fame from the island country being compared with icons such as Tyson Beckford (whom he slightly resembles).^[2] The Haitian native's modeling career actually began through his encounter with Tommy Hilfiger in 1997.^[2] Ever since then, Edmond has become a feature model for fashion designer labels such as Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, and Donna Karan.

Edmond's best friend, a young man named Tyrone (from whom Edmond adopted his name) who was afflicted with AIDS, died leading to Edmond's further involvement in socio-economic affairs and the fight in the AIDS/HIV epidemic.^[2]