The truth about Iman

Iman is not at all what she seems, says Helena de Bertodano in the London Times. And she never has been. Discovered by photographer Peter Beard in Kenya in 1974, the former supermodel came to the U.S. at age 19, where she was introduced to the press as a Somali goatherd who didn’t speak a word of English. “It was a good story,” she says, laughing. “It was a bit like My Fair Lady—it was insulting, but I can’t let Peter take the fall for that alone. I knew exactly what was going on.”

The story, it turns out, was an elaborate lie. Iman was actually the daughter of the Somali ambassador to Saudi Arabia, fluent in five languages, and studying political science in college. The fashion world looked past the ruse, however, and made her one of the most successful models of her generation.

Now 55, she’s equally famous for her long and happy marriage to David Bowie, once a glam-rock legend. “He’s the sanest, safest gentleman in the world,” she insists. “He’s very funny, endearing, and shy.” Together for 20 years, they have a 10-year-old daughter, Alexandria, and lead a normal, family-centered life. “Occasionally someone will come up to me and say, ‘You look just like Iman.’ And I say, ‘I am Iman.’ But usually I am just Lexi’s mom or David’s wife. And I’m fine with that.”

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