‘ We were allowed to talk and to change things.’


The supermodel Iman hasn’t walked a runway in 21 years. Yet at almost 55 years old, with that famous Modigliani profile and copper-toned skin, she’s as gorgeous as ever.

At a recent lunch at Barneys New York in her honor, Iman glided among friends that included her contemporaries Stephen Burrows, the designer, and Pat Cleveland, the spirited model of the 1970s and ‘80s. Iman strode in on the arm of David Bowie, her husband of 18 years. Outside, the store’s windows displayed legendary fashion photos of Iman along with quotes, like one from Diana Vreeland, who once uttered: “Now, that’s a neck.”

That neck, and all that went with it, first captivated top designers when the Somalian beauty, born Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid, was plucked from her university studies in Nairobi by the photographer Peter Beard and brought to New York to model for the likes of Halston and Calvin Klein.

“She has this amazing skin - it sets off color and clothes in a way white women couldn’t do,” Mr. Klein recalled. “On the runway, she exuded style. She was an actress, a natural. She knew how to sell the clothes better than anybody.”

And she had a regal presence that designers worked hard , as when Thierry Mugler put her onstage with a baby tiger on a leash. In early June, at the awards gala for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, she was recognized as this year’s Fashion Icon, “an individual whose signature style has had a profound influence on fashion,” according to the council.

“It’s not just enough to say that she is beautiful or beautifully dressed, although that is a part of the equation,” said Michael Kors, the designer. “Iman cuts across all ages and experiences.”

During an interview in New York at her cosmetics company, where she works three days a week, Iman - 1.85 meters, 60.3 kilograms and a fit American size 6 - was soignee in flared denims, wedge peep-toes and a navy jacket over a white T-shirt. The walls are covered with images of herself by the likes of Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber and Helmut Newton.

She told the story of how she arrived in New York in 1975, the daughter of a Somalian diplomat. She spoke five languages but had never worn makeup or high heels. She credits the nurturing she got from designers, who gave her confidence in an era when model-muses were prized for their individuality - and their own ideas.

“We were allowed to talk and to change things,” she said.

Designers like Yves Saint Laurent or Mr. Mugler expected her to speak up. “ ‘Do you like that? Would you wear it that way?’ ” she said. “You could be your own person. And nobody walked the same way on the runway.”

After 14 years of modeling, Iman made what was a breakthrough move in 1994, starting her own cosmetics line, featuring impossible-to-find foundation shades for women of color. Today Iman Cosmetics is a $25-million- a-year business. “At the end of the day, my legacy will not be modeling, but my cosmetics line,” she said.

Between her cosmetics business and her involvement with a number of AIDS charities in Africa, Iman had made her mark with a respectable second act. But there was a third act yet to begin.

She sold a hit line of caftans on television and broke into reality TV as the host of “Project Runway Canada.” Now, the Bravo channel is counting on her to revive “The Fashion Show.”

She lives with Mr. Bowie and their 9-year-old daughter, Alexandria Jones, in SoHo.

“When you are relevant and have style and you stay in your lane, you’ve got it going on,” said her friend Bethann Hardison.


By TERI AGINS