Supermodel Iman has opened up about her grief over the loss of husband David Bowie, saying she refuses to refer to him as “late”.
Cover of Vogue Iman
The couple married in 1992. Appearing for the first time on the cover of Vogue magazine’s January issue, the model, activist and entrepreneur opened up about her enduring love for the musician, who died of cancer in 2016.
“He’s not my ‘deceased husband’. He’s my husband,” she said, before discussing how the couple had managed to retain their separate identities while together.
“I don’t mind them being called ‘David Bowie’s wife,'” she added. “But I always remind people that I existed before I met him. And he was also very private. He never introduced me by saying, ‘Meet my wife.’ He always said, ‘Meet Iman, my wife.’ So everyone the two of us already had our own identity. We were apart together.”
Iman was photographed for the cover of British Vogue by Nadine Ijewere Photography: Nadine Ijewere
Iman also revealed how difficult it was to find space to grieve privately after Bowie’s death and said it was frustrating when people said they shared their grief. “It was too much,” he said. “Too.
“We lived a very private life and suddenly it felt like there was a target on me and my daughter’s head. It got to the point where we had to leave our house [in New York City] for the audience was always at the front door. What I admire I understand.
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“But there was a point where it was like, ‘OK, go home now.’ You had people take your picture, sell it, and then come back to you and say, ‘I feel your pain.'” And I say: ‘No, whore, you don’t feel my pain, get away from me'”.
The 67-year-old, who was one of the most sought-after fashion models of the 1970s and 1980s, also spoke about changing the fashion industry and resisting the clichés of ageing.
He called the obsession with youth a “very Western mentality” and said: “I’m from Africa, we celebrate getting old. A friend was telling me there’s been an increase in cosmetic surgery, all because [people] have watched themselves in Zoom meetings.
The full feature will be in the January issue of British Vogue available via digital download and on newsstands from 20 December Photograph: Nadine Ijewere
“I’m like, ‘If you’re worried about it, just put the camera up.’ [so it’s tilted down on your face], for God’s sake!’ This is really a mentality rooted in the west. For me, it’s never been a problem.”
She said a desire to advocate for black models fueled her decision to become an executive producer on YouTube’s six-part documentary series Supreme Models. “I wanted to show not only the trials and tribulations, but also the joy and celebration.”