EXCLUSIVE: Iman on Wigs, Killer Heels and Her 'Weird' Neck

Mark Seliger for Harper’s Bazaar

You may know Iman as the one-name wonder who tamed David Bowie or the Somalian-born model with other-worldly good looks, but starting tonight, with the premiere of the new Bravo series, The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection, you’ll get to see another side of the striking beauty. Alongside designer Isaac Mizrahi and Harper’s Bazaar Features Director Laura Brown, Iman will host the cut-throat competition, challenging 12 talented designers to produce a live fashion show each week. Posing in fairytale gowns from the likes of Sonia Rykiel and Valentino for the December issue of Harper’s Bazaar, the style icon reveals how she stays so fabulous, even at 55. “I don’t do anything by myself. I have a whole crew to get me ready every day,” she admits. “I believe in glamour. I am in favor of a little vanity. I don’t rely on just my genes. Looking good is a commitment to yourself and to others. Wigs, killer heels, Pilates, even fillers—whatever works for you, honey.” And when it comes to industry rivalries, this top diva is not afraid to name fashion foes: “Geoffrey Beene! I loved his clothes but not him,” she dishes. And as for her signature swanlike neck, not all women are green with envy. “My daughter likes to draw. She’ll say to me, ‘I am doing a portrait, so you have to sit still.’ And then she’ll say, ‘Oh my goodness, you have such a long neck. Weird!'” For more photos and a video from the shoot, visit www.harpersbazaar.com/iman, or pick up the December issue of Harper’s Bazaar, on stands November 23. –Justine Harman

Courtesy Harper’s Bazaar