Iman opens up about her rock-solid marriage with her one true love David Bowie.
Married in 1992, the rockstar and the model had the kind of love that can only be described as a testament to the highest love of all – unconditional love.
Iman who is set to appear in an extensive chat with British Vogue – hitting the stands on December 20– discusses among many things, the difficulty of grieving, and processing the loss of one of the world’s greatest musicians who also happens to be her husband.
Referring to David as her husband, and never her ’late’ husband, Iman shares “I don’t mind at all being referred to as ‘David Bowie’s wife’, but I always remind people that I existed before I met him. And he was also very particular. He never introduced me by saying, ‘Meet my wife’. He’d always say, ‘Meet Iman, my wife.’ So we both already had our own identities. We were separate together.”
Speaking to the iconic fashion mag Iman candidly shares her experiences following her husband’s death. “It was too much. Too much. We lived a very private life and suddenly it felt like there was a target on mine and my daughter’s head… You had people who would take your picture, sell it and then come to you and say, ‘I feel your pain.’
And, I’m like, ‘No, bitch, you don’t feel my pain, get away from me.’”
Speaking about the dynamics of their marriage, Iman revealed “People always ask me if I influenced him. I didn’t. David came to me fully informed.
When it came to supporting her endeavors, in particular her cosmetics business, IMAN cosmetics, she shares her husband’s encouragement, and wisdom, that he gave her at the time: “I said, ‘Suppose it fails? ’And he replied, ‘And? If it fails, what do you think is going to happen? You’re not going to die of it.
“You know that there isn’t a single Black model who ever goes to a job without having her foundation in her pocket. This is a reason to create’.”
Living a largely private life together, Iman and David Bowie raised their daughter Lexi Jones, and successfully, and lovingly practiced what they preached, giving to the community as much as they gave to each other.
The couple’s philanthropy has benefitted HIV/AIDS medical research in treating and curing AIDS, as well as offering relief to communities suffering from the pandemic, as well as numerous other charities, ‘Break the Cycle’, an organization that works with children and teens of domestic abuse and ‘Raise Hope for Congo Campaign’ an initiative aimed at protecting and empowering Congolese women and girls.
The full interview with Iman is available in the January issue of British Vogue via digital download and on newsstands from December 20.
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