Iman Magic Girl

The last time that Somalia's supermodel Iman took to T was traced back to 1989, 21 years ago.

But according to fashion, the age of 55 does not affect her beauty and charm, not only because she still keeps 6 yards, but also because she has long been labeled "Idol".

Recently, Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys department store in New York, dedicated his famous window display to Iman.

The showcase is a classic blockbuster of the legendary supermodel over the years, with the praise of fashion celebrities.

The golden handwritten slogans of "congratulations on Iman!" are very striking. The reason why we want to decorate this window is to celebrate Iman's "fashion idol" on the 2010 American Fashion Designers Association Awards (CFDA).

Barneys has seen many long-standing faces for the celebration luncheon hosted by Iman, including designer Stepehn Burrows and model Pat Cleveland, who were popular in 70 and 80s of twentieth Century. They are fashionable celebrities with Iman in the contemporary era, and also her good friends.

Iman came along with his rock star husband David Bowie. She was wearing a black tight dress and black high heel shoes. The black crocodile skin Hermes Kelly handbag on her hand was a gift from her husband many years ago.

A few days later, at the CFDA awards ceremony, Iman again appeared with Bowie in a black skirt.

She chose to award his own friend, Italy actress Isabella Rossellini (Ingrid Bergman's daughter).

According to CFDA's consistent standard, the "fashion idol" award is designed for individuals who have a far reaching influence on fashion styles.

Compared with past winners, such as Kate Moss (2005) and Sarah JessicaParker (2004), Iman's style of dress is not fashionable and bright, but her election is taken for granted.

"I don't remember who put forward the name of Iman at the meeting, and everyone in the hall marveled, so we passed the whole vote."

CFDA chairman Diane von Furstenberg recalled.

"She is the idol of our age."

American designer Miachel Kors said, "she is beautiful enough to dress well."

Her charm comes from her age and experience.

She has a successful career and a competent wife and mother. She is brave enough to try new things, and at the same time be very strong minded -- few people can take account of all of these things. "

The daughter of a diplomat

Before the age of 18, Iman's life had nothing to do with fashion circles.

Her father was a Somali diplomat in Tanzania, and her mother was a gynecologist. They gave their daughter a masculine name, hoping that she could grow into a strong woman.

Iman, a Muslim born in eastern Africa, has been studying in Catholic private female schools since childhood, and has received a more liberal education.

"I am an unsociable child, unable to mingle with my classmates, so I have to study very hard."

In 1994, she said this with her husband, David Bowie, in the interview with Interview magazine.

In 1973, Iman, 18, went to Kenya Nairobi university to study politics. After school, he worked part-time as a plator to earn tuition.

The girl who can speak 5 languages fluently does not make up or wear high heels.

If it weren't for a fashion photographer, Peter Beard, who was on the streets of Nairobi, Iman might be an African woman.

What attracted the photographer's attention was her long neck, smooth forehead and charming posture.

He followed her for a while and finally got the chance to speak to her.

And Iman's first reaction was, "he wanted to ask me to take a nude picture."

It's no wonder that, for a good student who has never read "Vogue" and is always interested in time and Newsweek, the fashion world is like Mars.

The final move to Iman was money - Beard promised to pay her 8000 dollars for her tuition.

On the same day, Beard took several pictures of Iman and brought it back to New York.

In the next 4 months, he repeatedly lobbied Iman to be a full-time model in New York and sold the fresh African face in a big way.

In order to attract eyeballs, he even lied that Iman was an expelled African royalty who was found in the jungle.

In 1975, Iman's appearance in New York turned into a farce. Many media waited for her at the airport, and a press conference was held that day. She didn't get out of the way and made a name for herself.

"To my surprise and annoyance, these people believed that Africans were living in the jungle.

Somalia is a desert area. I've never seen a jungle. "

"Even more humiliated," Iman recalled in an interview. "They only ask Peter questions and think I don't understand English!"

African Queen

Maybe it's Beard's hype, and Iman's model career is plain sailing.

From the very beginning, she boarded the T desk of the Paris advanced custom fashion show, photographed the most first-class magazines, and was deeply loved by designers and fashion editors.

One of her most famous images of T is holding a tiger for Thierry Mugler. Yves Saint Laurent has designed a series of "Queen of Africa" series dedicated to her.

"She has amazing beautiful skin - her color and clothing are not matched by white models."

Calvin Klein said, "she was born on the T stage. She knows more about how to sell clothes than anyone else."

Iman said that in her era of popularity, designers encouraged models and Mousika to show their individuality and express their opinions.

"We can express our thoughts and even make changes."

She said the designer wanted to hear her voice.

"They often ask," do you like this?

Would you like to wear that?

You can be yourself. On T, no one takes the same catwalk.

"Don't get me wrong. There are also good models nowadays.

However, they have lost their old position of cooperation with designers.

This relationship no longer exists. "

She sighed.

Michael Kors also remembers her 1984 debut. At that time, Iman made a shawl before she went on stage, and it looked much better.

"No such thing can happen again.

It's so hard to model a 16 year old model.

In its prime, Iman, like any supermodel, lived a rich and wasteful life.

"I can easily earn a lot of money at an early age. I spend all my money on a Concorde jet to Paris for a party and fly back.

I've done more than that.

For young girls, there is no future in modeling. "

She said.

So in 1989, Iman ended her 14 years of modeling career. She said categorically that she would never return.

"When I decided to leave, I didn't leave any way for myself in New York.

I sold my apartment and broke the contract.

In this way, even if I encounter difficulties in the future, I will not make excuses to go back to business.

I think this is the best decision I have made for myself. "

She said.

Female entrepreneurs

After moving from New York to Losangeles, Iman met David Bowie. In 1992, two people entered Florence in the church. Now it seems to be one of the most stable marriages between rock and fashion.

After marriage, Iman regained the ambition of a strong woman in her schooldays. In 1994, she founded her own cosmetics company, a special product designed for women of coloured race.

Of course, she is unwilling to act as a beautiful face in advertisements and boxes, but rather in laboratories, dealing with test tube flasks.

As a matter of fact, she has some experience in this respect. During the years when she was a model, she always asked the makeup artist to use her own cosmetics.

Today, Iman is already a beauty brand with annual sales of $25 million. Its $14.99 foundation products have 4 formulations and 14 tones, and are among the top sales on the US cosmetology website Walgrenns.com.

"My legacy will not be the model business, but the beauty brand."

She said.

While running its own brand and contributing to AIDS and philanthropy in Africa, Iman has returned to fashion in another way.

In 2007, HSN, a famous TV shopping center in the United States, found her, and told her that as long as she wore a Iman label, she would sell well.

At first, Iman refused, for the reason that "fashion design should be left to professionals."

But she soon changed her mind, because she thought that she could start with the familiar Turkey style gown.

These uniform size gowns with embroidery elements and exotic styles have become popular in the market, and the "Iman global fashion series" dress has landed in HSN and ranked the top four in the bestseller list.

Just as she was dressing herself in the backstage of the show, Iman began to demonstrate her signature product on the screen: $49.95 cream colored Sequin knitted shawl.

Her magnetic lines and humorous remarks with a foreign accent are already familiar with her appearance.

The outstanding voice of Michael Kors, who believes that "dubbing can be animated", has hosted the Canadian version of the two years' stretching platform plan.

In September this year, Iman will join the second season of another Bravo designer's show show, fashion show.

Standing on T again, her identity is quite different.

Now Iman, who lives in SoHo District of New York, pformed herself from a supermodel to a female entrepreneur. Indeed, as she had left, she never once looked back.

"The place where I live now is very suitable for my husband. Everyone is dressed better than he is, and everyone thinks he is a star - so no one will disturb him!"

She joked.

Bowie, 63, has not been on stage for 6 years. His hobby now is painting and collecting British Art in twentieth Century.

"I do not consider touring. I live very freely."

He said.

Iman also said she did not want to sit in the front row to see the show. "The reason why I can get to the present is that I never expose myself to excessive exposure or hang on.

If I go to the show, people will think, "Oh, poor thing."

So keeping mystique is my revenge. "

It seems that the couple are smart and match.