Influenced by the local customs in Africa, Iman got married very early, but that marriage brought her endless pain. Iman must get her husband's permission if he wants to leave Kenya. So, without telling anyone, she fled Kenya with false documents and came to Manhattan, new york on 1975. Although the "runaway princess" at that time could not speak English, she had powerful and amazing creativity. A crazy African pop dance initiated by her quickly swept the whole Broadway. Although Iman is favored by the fashion world, this "black pearl" is not welcomed by African-Americans in the black residential area of new york where she lives. Those African compatriots regard her as a plaything in the hands of white people and are full of hatred for her. Iman admits that she has never lost her dark complexion, and she also admits that she has caught up with the good times. At that time, American fashion always wanted to find models suitable for sportswear, and blacks undoubtedly had the most visual impact in this respect. Later, the Paris fashion industry followed suit and rushed to hire black models on stage. Soon after, the Somali "Black Pearl" became a rising star on the runway in Ran Ran, and the applause was overwhelming. Some people say that the fashion industry is actually like a big dye vat, yes. For a time, Iman was addicted to champagne, cocaine and card gambling. Soon, AIDS broke out in the United States, which shocked Iman. She vowed to pull back from the brink: "It's bad enough for my parents to be models, and drug abuse will make them even worse."
Iman worked hard after that, but she found that black girls were treated so unfairly. In a large-scale advertising shoot, the then white model superstar Gia arrived late, two and a half hours late. When she took off her long-sleeved clothes in the dressing room, Iman was horrified to find the dense pinholes on her arm. At that moment, the anger in Iman's chest was like a flash flood: "I sat here and waited for two and a half hours like a second-class citizen just to serve an addict like you." You go find other niggers, I can't be your ornament anymore! "Say that finish and left.
Soon, Iman seized an excellent opportunity to shoot an advertisement. This is a one-man advertisement, with huge scenes and excellent production. In the past, only the world's top clothing companies had money to do it. This time, Iman finally crossed the boundary between black and white races. The photo is black and white, and there is no need to color it at all. This time, the boss paid Iman a lot of money, but Iman complained, "Yes, it doesn't sound like a small sum, but they paid white models four times as much as me!"
Although Iman is slender on the stage, she has to accept "hard labor" in order to keep her weight. I only rely on a few hard-to-swallow walnut muffins to satisfy my hunger every day, in order to be able to put on those small waist pants of size 8 and make my 5.9-foot figure look more like a sexy goddess on high heels than my neighbor's aunt with pear-shaped hips. In fact, Iman hopes to convey the inner temperament of a model to the audience. She once said, "When I was growing up, no one said I was beautiful. I am just an ordinary Somali girl. We have many beautiful women there. Compared with other beautiful women, my skin is not outstanding. " However, Iman has her own advantages. Her camera performance is very strong, and she can properly apply her feelings and understanding in front of the camera to the runway. She can show different styles of clothes, be diversified and have her own unique style. 1989 After retiring from the modeling industry, Iman turned to Los Angeles and began to enter the performance industry, but this experience was mediocre. Some of her roles, such as the female model in kevin costner's Nowhere to Run (1987), the female astronaut in Star Trek 6 (199 1) and the diamond thief in Escape from Eden (1994), failed to impress. This acting career failed to arouse her interest in acting, but it gave her a chance to meet her future husband, david bowie, a world-famous rock star. Iman's innate noble temperament immediately fascinated Bowie. He fell in love with her at first sight. Their first date was arranged by a barber in david bowie, and they talked all night. The next day Bowie called Iman for tea. He was so nervous that he didn't even take a sip of tea and didn't know what to say. Although Bowie has tens of thousands of fans, his reputation has not become an obstacle to their communication. In Iman's eyes, the Bowie she fell in love with was warm, cheerful and sometimes hysterical. He is not so much a rock star as a bar singer.
Iman and Bowie go to Paris every year now because they got engaged there. That day, they rented a boat on the Seine and hired a pianist to play for them. When the boat passed the Seine River Bridge, Bowie suddenly pulled out a bunch of bright red roses from behind, looked Iman in the eyes affectionately and asked her gently if she would marry him. Iman smiled and lowered her head, but she had told herself that she would not marry him unless he did. This man is really romantic. Because this day is 14, Bowie will send Iman a bunch of flowers every day for the next ten years.
1992 The two lovers finally got married in Lausanne, Switzerland, and later had their love crystallization. Today, the daughter of Iman and her ex-husband Zulika is 23 years old. She is a marketing student, more beautiful, taller and healthier than her mother. But the last thing Iman wants is to be praised by others in front of children. She said: "This is undoubtedly a kind of pressure for children. She wants to look as slim as me, so she follows the example of dieting every day. Just like when I was young, I always wanted to look as slim as cindy crawford. I want to give you a suggestion. Never go on a diet in front of a child, even if he is only two years old. " Iman's involvement in the cosmetics industry is purely accidental, because she is not the kind of woman who likes to look in the mirror with lipstick every day. 1994, because almost all cosmetics were to meet the needs of white consumers at that time, Iman went to several big shopping malls. I didn't buy a foundation suitable for my skin color, and I was ridiculed by the white salesgirl, so I decided to develop cosmetics suitable for brown and black women. It's true that the tables have turned. As American women's admiration for brown skin has gradually become a trend, this investment, which was not lacking in vitality, has become a wise move. Iman has gained a firm foothold in the fierce competition in the cosmetics industry by virtue of his innate perseverance and shrewdness, as well as his popularity in the fashion industry. Even she herself said, "I was born unyielding, and now it seems that I am quite suitable for this industry."
Iman has read many books, responded quickly and mastered many languages. Her first impression is that she is smart, kind and delicate. She never wants to waste time accepting flattery from others. She hit the nail on the head and pointed out: "You are eating a youthful meal in the modeling world. Those agents will let the scouts dig up some beautiful girls first and try their best to make them popular, pamper them and flatter them. When they start to go downhill, they will slander them behind their backs. It won't be long before they become boring, and then they will launch their new' baby'. I am very lucky in this respect, because when my modeling career was still in full swing, I quit the modeling circle and jumped to another brand-new industry-cosmetics industry. "
Although he is an American, Iman has never forgotten his country. She is often shocked by the experiences of some suffering people. Once Iman saw a woman in Arabic on the screen and was starving. The six children in front of her have starved to death, and the last child is lying beside her dying. Iman cried in front of everyone. Iman admits in the book that she was born in a stoic Islamic family and she has always been proud to be an African. As the famous photographer Peter Beard said, "Somalis don't cry easily."
After work, for Iman, nothing is happier than Doby's baby Alexander Zaha, who was born last August. Besides, Iman is either sewing or cooking at home. Both she and david bowie are tired of public life all day. The couple always keep a low-key private life and carefully keep their distance from the media.
David bowie is like a spoiled big boy. He sometimes fiddles with his music all night. Iman admits that she is almost music-blind. Whenever her husband works, she always lets him close the door behind him. But there are always exceptions. Once Bowie wrote the best lullaby she had ever heard in the world, and then sang it to Xiao Aibao in a low voice. At that moment, Iman felt that he was the kindest father in the world.
"Although he has a gentle side, he is a strong man," Iman said with satisfaction. "david bowie is as reliable as the sun. I know that if he finds me in trouble, he will never leave me for a moment. This makes me feel a sense of security that I have never felt before. I am strong and violent, but I married a gentle and calm English gentleman. Once we were boating together, I was so angry that I threw the plate at him because of a small matter, but he stood there and said softly,' Dear, should we discuss it calmly?' As for the old story about his bisexuality, it's just a terrible misunderstanding of him by the public. "
The star couple kept a low profile and never hired bodyguards unless they went out for a long trip. Usually, Iman and Bowie seldom go out. She and her husband like to stay at home. When Iman's business was booming, Bowie faded out of the music scene and turned to help Iman cope with the rapidly changing market situation. Iman's business is mainly body painting pigments, and she has introduced a mixed color that only bold girls dare to try. Iman also opened a special line for women's makeup at 1994.
"Sometimes I feel a little tired, wandering for too long, tired, and want to go home and return to my comfort zone. When we are free, we will go to Cornwall for our holiday. He drove me. He has been trying to convince me that sunny days will last forever, but I know it is unlikely. " Iman said with a smile.
As a black woman, she has always been proud of her skin color. The mother of two once published a book called The Ultimate Guide to Colored Skin Beauty. The famous saying is: "I am a woman with skin color, and I will always live with my skin color."