Iman discusses her late husband David Bowie, their incredible marriage, and more in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K.
The 65-year-old, who married Bowie in 1992 before he passed away in 2016, says of her other half: “David is in our hearts and minds on a daily basis, for all of us. You know, this was my true love. My daughter once asked me if I would ever marry again and I said, ‘Never.’
“He’s hiding in plain sight. His fans are still around, his music is still relevant. And on the day of his passing, I went on a hike and a bluebird flew in front of me. A bluebird, above all things!”
Iman adds of her and Bowie’s relationship, “It could not have been more regular! It was a really everyday marriage.
“He was a very funny, warm gentleman – you know, everyone talks about him being futuristic, but no, he was not, he liked more than anything to wear a three-piece suit. It was a beautiful, ordinary life and that was what was great about it. We could live in New York, pick up our daughter from school, walk everywhere… You know, I wish we had had more years.”
The model talks about her new life in the countryside, telling the mag: “I’m such a city girl, but now I’m appreciating the country. I go hiking every day – I have this great view of mountains that changes literally every few minutes.
“David was a painter; my daughter is a painter. I never painted in my life, so I’ve taken it up. I learnt that I don’t have to be good at something to start doing it. Just get out of your own way, go for it. I do get lonely, but I’m one of those people – thank God – who likes my own company.”
She says of getting older, “I’m African, and we’ve never been scared of aging. It’s a privilege, you know.”
Iman then talks about combatting institutional racism, insisting she receive the same model fees as her white counterparts: “I said, ‘I’m doing the same job, I don’t see why I am going to be paid less.’ So I refused to work under those conditions.”
The February issue of Harper’s Bazaar is on sale from January 6, 2021.
