Though she has been retired from modeling for over three decades, Iman—who was once a permanent fixture on the runway and a muse to Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, and Thierry Mugler—has never fully left the industry. Sure, you won’t find her in the front row of fashion shows—“I’d have to go to all the shows. I can’t just choose two. So I decided, you know what? I’m going to sit it out,” she tells me—but you will see her on the steps of the Met Gala to promote her boundary-breaking beauty brand, Iman Cosmetics (which became one of the first multimillion-dollar makeup lines dedicated to women of color), and, most recently, in Pandora’s latest campaign, shot by Craig McDean. More than just a series of beautiful photographs, the campaign is a call to action. Titled “Be Love,” it’s a celebration of the transformative power of love and all the splendid jewelry that helps to tell the story.
But what does it mean to actually be love? For Iman, it’s about kindness. “In the world we live in now, we are holding on for dear life to [kindness]. [It’s as important] as ever.” Below, the supermodel gets candid on being kind to yourself, dining alone, and why it’s okay to splurge.
Can you tell me a little bit about your personal jewelry collection, what pieces you’re wearing every day, and what holds the most sentimental value?
Most of my jewelry has sentimental value. Not necessarily that they were bought for me by my husband, but also things that my parents gave me when I was little and the things that I bought for myself. Let’s not forget those!
When my husband passed away in 2016, my dear friend and designer Hedi Slimane made a very simple necklace for me with the name David on it. I’ve worn it since it arrived. It is the most precious thing to me now.
I’m curious what you’ve bought for yourself.
Whenever I would go to Milan during Fashion Week, if I had the time, I would go to Florence to a place called Ponte Vecchio. I bought lots of vintage rings from Ponte Vecchio. I think it’s very important for women to do that.
What else should women be doing?
Go to dinner—not lunch—dinner by yourself. Travel by yourself. And definitely buy good things for yourself. You don’t have to wait for somebody to pamper you. Pamper yourself.
My friends with lots of little children will say to me, “Oh, no, we’re not using those glasses. That’s for company,” and I always tell them, “Don’t wait for company. You have to be your best company. Use the best things you have now. Life is very short. Use what you have.”
Let’s talk about your closet. Do you hold on to everything?
If you remember that Met Gala that I went to with Harris [Reed], I mean, that cannot fit in any closet. So I have all the archival pieces housed in a place. They have their own archives. They’re not with me.
What I have is a digital closet. I’ll email them: “Number 43. I’d like to have it delivered.” They’ll deliver it. I wear it that night, and they’ll pick it up the next day, dry-clean it, and it goes back into the digital closet.
What does your closet at home look like?
I can live in jeans every day. I’ll wear them with a sneaker to walk my dog. I’ll put on a heel to go to the theater. I can make a jean work for me in any occasion. But the bags have to be with me. My bags have never been done digitally, because I will pick up a bag and then work my outfit around the bag. I’m that girl. The accessories make the look.
If you could wear only one bag every day for the rest of your life, what bag are you choosing?
I’ll probably say a Birkin, preferably if it’s just black, because then you can wear it with anything.
There is something to be said for buying something that has value in it. Something that is well constructed. There is a reason for it. And I know they’re expensive. But I have to tell you, they’ve lasted me 40 years.
You started modeling at the age of 20. In the time since then, how have you seen the industry change?
Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t follow fashion as much as I used to when I was in it. A lot of people are always surprised by it, but I have not been to a fashion show since I retired in 1989.
Do you miss shows at all?
Absolutely not. Not even a little bit. I’m asked literally every show, “Would you consider just coming to attend?” And I’m like, “Really, no.”
Your Instagram is filled with inspirational quotes. Is there any one quote or mantra that you live by?
There isn’t, because every day is a different day. There is a quote that said something about “One day you are the statue, and the next day you are the pigeon.” Life is like that. Some days you’re down; some days you are up. But be humble. Take it day by day. We’re all just trying to survive.
