Harper’s Bazaar has a great interview with Iman in the December issue. I’m pretty much in love with Iman after reading this, and that’s saying a lot because I already really liked her. It’s not even that she’s saying really awesome, hardcore things, it’s just her attitude. I hate to bring up her age, but I think it’s the simple fact that she’s 55 years old (!!) and she has experience and savvy and wit, and she simply knows how to act like a professional and give an interesting interview. That’s a quality sorely lacking in so many celebrities these days. Anyway, the full Bazaar interview (conducted by Simon Doonan) is here, and here are some excerpts:
Simon Doonan: How many times a day do you Google yourself?
Iman: Every five minutes. I simply can’t take my eyes off myself. Kidding! I would rather Google other people than Google myself.SD: Have you ever thrown a cell phone at anyone?
Iman:No! And if anyone threw one at me, it would come right back at them like a boomerang. If I feel frustrated in a situation, I take a deep breath and walk away.SD: Do you and David ever fight? [Iman has been married to rock god David Bowie for 18 years.]
Iman: David doesn’t fight. He is English, so he just stays quiet. I’m the screamer. Then he always makes me laugh. It’s like cabaret. I keep him entertained too. I still fancy him—totally!—after all these years.SD: Which Bowie song do you adore?
Iman: So many! “Heroes” especially. “Suffragette City” always gets me dancing with my little girl, Lexi [age 10].SD: Who takes more time to get ready?
Iman: David takes five minutes. Me? I don’t do anything by myself. I have a whole crew to get me ready every day.SD: How many falls and wiglets do you own?
Iman: Millions! I believe in glamour. I am in favor of a little vanity. I don’t rely on just my genes. Looking good is a commitment to yourself and to others. Wigs, killer heels, Pilates, even fillers—whatever works for you, honey.SD: What is the worst thing about being a parent?
Iman: The early mornings. There is soccer and music class at 7:30 A.M. Remember, I am 55. I can only take so much!SD: I have seen you throw together a home-cooked meal in your kitchen. I was impressed. Was that just for PR purposes?
Iman: I vowed to myself when I got married that I would cook every night. I find it very therapeutic.SD: What’s for dinner tonight?
Iman: Branzino with lemon. And David likes risotto, but I can’t do risotto tonight. It takes time, and I have homework to do with my daughter. Maybe a salad and orzo. And David buys dessert.SD: You could be a lady of leisure if you so desired. Why not just lie around eating bonbons and listening to Ziggy Stardust?
Iman: Even Ziggy Stardust would put on 125 pounds if he ate bonbons all day! I come from Somalia. We start working young, and we understand that kind of life. I would be bored to death not doing anything creative.SD: Who have you ever had homicidal feelings toward in the fashion business?
Iman: Geoffrey Beene! I loved his clothes but not him. Years ago, we were about to walk the runway and he pushed me. I said, “Don’t do that!” “You work for me!” he said, and I replied, “No, you’ve hired my services, dear. I don’t work for you,” and I left.SD: Who is your favorite young designer these days?
Iman: Alexander Wang is one of my favorites. But he is like my daughter. He is like 12.SD: I heard you were at the White House a while ago. Did you crash, or were you invited?
Iman: Cheeky! I met Mr. and Mrs. Obama years ago at Oprah’s Legends Ball. Oprah sat me next to Mrs. Obama because I majored in political science before modeling, so she thought we would have something to discuss. And then I went for lunch at the White House. It was brilliant! Mrs. Obama could not have been more gracious or beautiful. She is very smart, and for me, the thing I most envy is her children. When is the last time we saw two girls that age at the inauguration, and their mother did not have to say, “Sit still!”?SD: Are you a true New Yorker or a Somali girl?
Iman: Absolutely a New Yorker. I can tell you exactly when I switched. We moved downtown when Lexi was born. When 9/11 happened, 12 of our neighborhood firemen were killed. I looked around at the country that had adopted me and I became an American.SD: You seem like an optimist and a positive force, but you must have done something appalling in your past.
Iman: I was once very rude to a young model. Just before I retired from modeling, I was at this shoot. The photographer said he was reading a biography of Marie Antoinette. The young model asked us, “What agency is she with?” [Shrieks of derisive laughter] We made fun of her, of course! When we were leaving, she said to me, “I hope I look as good as you when I’m your age,” and I said, “Don’t worry, darling, you won’t.” And then later I felt bad.SD: Have you ever dropped acid?
Iman: No, but I have dropped a lot of other things. I did the whole Studio 54 thing. My saving grace was that I always knew when to leave the party.SD: Who do you idolize?
Iman: My father. He taught me how to be a parent and gave me a positive connection with men because he is a gentleman. And that is what attracted me to David. He is a gentle soul.
[From Harper’s Bazaar]
Don’t you like her even more now? Even the incident she describes of making fun of a young model – well, it’s not that bad. Naomi Campbell probably would have considered that incident “an act of sainthood.” Naomi would have beaten that poor model with a bedazzled boomerang phone just for making eye contact. So if that’s the worst thing Iman’s ever done, darling, she’s just fine.
Photos courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.
Yes, I have to admit I do like her now.
She sounds pretty down-to-earth for a “super model” married to a “rock star
genius”.
Ok, so the young model should have known better than to walk up to a model that was nearing retirement and dare mention her age. Just a thought.
I agree, I love Iman, she is absolutely stunning.
Love her!
Love Iman. A bit disappointed with the poses in these photos though. She is just standing there with her hands on her hips in both photos. She could be working it a lot more…
Love her and this interview just made me love her more. <3
a GODDESS
She’s my hero. She’s SUCH a beauty. Somali people have such beautiful and unique bone structure and features. I’ve always loved her, and for some reason, have always loved the fact that she met David Bowie at an orgy (allegedly but pretty much true) and they’re STILL together. Two sexual freaks falling in love and staying that way. That’s what I want for my marriage haha.
And I also like that Simon Doonan conducted the interview. He’s probably one of the wittiest people in the fashion world and has such an amazing tongue in cheek sense of humor.
You don’t walk up to ANY woman you don’t know on personal level, model or otherwise, and make remarks about her age. To do so is begging for a smackdown, good intentions be damned.
Love her and ADORE her husband!
They make a fierce couple!
GAH! love her SO much. She and David are my favorite couple of all time, hands down.
Drat. There oughta be a law against anybody being so damn beautiful at 55.
@KJ: totally agree with you about Somali women. Somali women and Ethiopian woman are the most gorgeous females on the planet. They have a natural grace and elegance I’ve never seen in any other ethnic group and they carry themselves like queens.
She is fabulous and a wonderful role model. She never tries to be a saint and she comes across as real and human. She has her faults but she knows how to laugh at herself, which makes her damn close to perfect in my book!
she’s simply wonderful!!!
There’s no comparison from Naomi Campbell and Inman.. Inman is the best.
The photos are a bit bland, I think people forget that although Iman is/was a model she is actually very intelligent, speaks like five languages, comes from a well off family and is well educated, so comparisons to Naomi Campbell apart from sharing the same shade of skin and profession, is like comparing apples and pears both fruit but so totally different.
Wow, Iman is amazing!
I’m gonna run with this philosophy:
I replied, “No, you’ve hired my services, dear. I don’t work for you,” and I left.
OMG – I must be losing it or have a learning disability (or have PMS and/or be crazy menopausal) because I’m not seeing her awesomeness like everyone else is. After reading that interview, I get the impression that she’s a snooty beeyotch!
(Please don’t hurt me.)
I’m confused about Iman. Didn’t she have to flee Somalia under horrible conditions? There’s some story from way back that she had to leave the country in secret and on foot.
Ethiopian and Somali women may have different ethnic and genetic lineages from other Africans. Some historians say that Ethiopians have a lot of ancient Roman/European genes in them. Their form of Christianity is mysterious and dates to Roman times.
The most gorgeous people on earth. Somali women are breathtaking and have tremendous dignity and grace.
Even if she and Bowie are sexual freaks, they are very bright, dignified, fascinating people.
I’m always happy when I see Iman. She’s beautiful, ageless and one of a kind.
@sara: There are a whole lot of BS stories about Iman. One of the earliest and most persistent rumors was that she was discovered by an American photographer while herding goats. 🙄
Actually, the photographer discovered her on her college campus. Her father was a diplomat and used to be the Somali ambassador to Saudi Arabia and her family is well off and cultured.
i totally adore her, anyone who marries david bowie is a+ in my book
her hands, however, in that first photo are well… ummm… really large. is that even humanly possible. i guess ill take it as a big photo faux pas.
Princess Z has similar AWESOME bone structure… and she’s a character too.
I agree with Alexa. Maybe i’m just jealous of her for having Bowie, but she just sounds like a bitch here, it doesn’t matter if she admits it herself or not. Like admitting it would make the awful behaviour excusable. Seems like she thinks it does.
Anyone who watched The Fashion Show yesterday ha a renewed appreciation of Iman – or should have. I love her since long ago. Rosie O’Donnell had her and Bowie on her show way back when and that whole “Listen to Iman darling” thing made me love her even more. For the record Iman uses “Darling” wonderfully not like that fake Countess on the Real Housewives of New York. Every time LuAnn says “Darling” I want to tell her to get Iman to show her how it’s done!
I think if you come away from this interview thinking she’s a snotty bitch, you probably didn’t read it the same way others did. This is very clearly a fun, off the cuff interview. Lots of sarcasm and cheeky statements. You don’t actually think she’s being totally serious do you?
She certainly blows Heidi Klum out of the water as a reality design contest hostess…
She’s actually The Supermodel. She’s been in music videos for both Jermaine and Michael Jackson and could probably star in another one for Austin Brown and not look inappropriate. I miss genuinely beautiful models. Why can’t we have them back instead of thin-lipped Skrulls??
I like the way she looked with her original husband. Highly recommend a google. He made her look petite and he looked like a General.
I bit standoffish, but totally a diva.
I guess Iman forget her other daugher, by her first husband Harewood. The daughter she always called fat,the daughter that she hardly paid any attention to and was raised by her father.
Wonderful interview…….nice LADY.
Aw, I love Iman & David Bowie. Both separately and together!
wait! is she posing in an ostrich coat with an ostrich?
@poppy: Iman married Spencer Heywood, and their daughter is over 30. She has her own life.
Poor Poppy, I doubt Iman has ever forgotten her adult daughter, certainly she has often spoken of her fondly despite what her daughter said about her Mom when she was going through her drug/weight phase. Interestingly her daughter refutes most of what she said then.
Kinda disappointed that she said she’s a New Yorker. As an African gal married to an American man, I tell my son that I’m African because that is where I come from and he should absolutely be enriched by both cultures.
@Sara: ooh yea, no.
Ethiopians don’t practice a secret version of Christianity. They practice Orthodox Christianity. Their version is one of the oldest forms still practiced. The Original bible is written in their language, Amharic,which is one of the oldest, widely used languages in the world.
Also, They have looked as they do way before Romans. Way before Greeks. Like, Old Testament & beyond. Ethiopia is in the Horn of Africa & that is where most of everything started. They (and their looks) go back far, far, far…
(@sara: I just re-read what I wrote. It sounds snobby. I apologize.)
@soso: To be a New Yorker (of the 5 borough variety) & to be an American are different in our eyes. I never think of my culture as “American”, but I ALWAYS think of my culture as that of a typical NYer. We are definitely our own breed. Us & those LA people….
Plus, living “downtown” means your view was of that area. After living through something like what happened on September 11th, I suspect everyone that is an immigrant here (NYC), saw themselves a little bit differently after that….
A really entertaining, fun and refreshing interview! Iman seems solid, with a good sense of her roots and a fair share of beauty and grace. I agree, Kaiser – these days we have to sift through a lot of rubbish to find the real jewels when it comes to celebrities who know how to give interviews in an intelligent and articulate way without being hostile, self-conscious and/or narcissistic. Kudos to Iman, too, for her sense of humour!
Oh my god, Iman is such a laugh. She’s the reason Project Runway Canada is so good.
“In 1978, Iman married basketball star Spencer Haywood, with whom she had a daughter. She continued to model, but was sidelined for a time in 1983 after a taxi wreck. In 1987, she and Haywood divorced, but a custody battle over their daughter Zulekha, who lived with her father in Detroit, endured for six more years”
I had forgotten this (6 years is a long time
to remember other peoples situations and there was no google yet)
She’s over 50 years old. She has proven many times that she can “work it”. She can stand any way she pleases at this point. She is gorgeous, and always has been.
Lukie and Cheyenne–Thanks. I remember that story about her being discovered herding goats now. Uh-huh….You don’t get that kind of poise except from a very cosmopolitan upbringing, even if you are blessed with Somalian beauty.
Ethiopia and Somalia are mysterious places with seriously beautiful people. Ethiopian food will send you into orbit. Fantastic stuff. It may take days to recover, but it’s worth it.
She’s brilliant from the inside out.
sheesh.
My aunt went to school with her, don’t believe anything she says…she did things for fame…hint hint
How refreshing to see Iman still carry herself with such wit and grace. Class. I wish the other famous model from Somalia (yes, I’m talking to you Naomi Cambell) would take some tutoring lessons from Iman. (I bet Iman would decline.)
It’s interesting how glamorous celebrities like Iman can be so down to earth and so many celebrities who go about looking unglamorous and “down to earth” can be so entitled and self important.
She’s gorgeous, but I’m not seeing it. Seems like a snob.
This is what Naomi Campbell aspires to be but will never be.
Iman is THE most attractive model (inside and out).
Naomi Campbell is from Somalia now?? Interesting.
And shouldn’t we be advising Janice Dickensen, Kate Moss, to also take “lessons in class” from Iman?
Yes Lukie, you are correct. Ethiopians looked that way long before the Romans even knew where Ethiopia was, and were still mistaking it for the Kingdom of Kush which was located in the Nile Valley.
And would Simon Doonan have asked Christy Turlington or Cindy Crawford if they have ever thrown a cell phone at someone, or been caught on camera snorting a line of coke?
I don’t know too much about Iman’s personal life, but I have always admired the way she carries herself and she has always seemed one of the least offensive of ALL the supermodels.
She met Bowie at an orgy? More info, please! I think she was pretty funny in this interview.
Really? Naomi Campbell is EAST not West African? I read her mother was from the Caribbean with a sprig of Chinese thrown in.
@49 Naomi Campbell is not Somalian!!!! Her mother is Jamaican and her father “apparently” is Chinese although no one knows for sure…. Please do not write things like that when the truth is well known that she is London born via way of Jamaica!! Fact check people please!
Wow, She looks so fantastic! 55? Amazing
I’am also interested about the orgy story, please do elaborate!