Iman looked hip as she arrived at CBS Studios in New York on Monday.
The model looked much younger than her 67 years in an age-defying bright pink jumper with fur embellishments on the sleeves and purple wide leg pants. The 5ft 9in beauty looked even more statuesque than usual, thanks to a pair of metallic-toned platform shoes.
On the show, David Bowie’s widow spoke about her documentary on black models. She also claimed that she got rid of black symbolism in the modeling industry.
Hip: Iman, 67, looked trendy in an age-defying bright pink sweater with fur embellishments on the sleeves and purple wide-leg pants in New York on Monday
The Somali native’s dark, luscious locks were styled cascading straight down her shoulders and down her back.
The cover model appeared on CBS news program This Morning to have an interview with host Gayle King, 67, about the new Supreme Models documentary.
Iman is an executive producer on the six-part series, which streams on YouTube Originals.
Statuesque: The 5’9″ beauty looked even more statuesque than usual, thanks to a pair of metallic-toned platform shoes
Luscious locks: The Somali native’s dark, luscious locks were styled straight as they cascaded down her shoulders and down her back
The show tells the stories of black models who have broken down barriers and made their own impact on fashion and beauty standards.
Iman helped form the Black Girls Coalition in 1988 with fellow models Bethann Hardison and Naomi Campbell. She was executive producer of the documentary series.
“When I was approached by the makers of YouTube about this documentary series, I was like, ‘What do you bring to the table that hasn’t been said before?’ and they said : “There has never been a documentary about black models, or black beauty, for that matter.”
Documentary: The cover model appeared on CBS news program This Morning to have an interview with host Gayle King, 67, about the new documentary Supreme Models
Executive Producer: Iman serves as an executive producer on the six-episode series on YouTube Originals
Our stories: The model said the documentary series was an opportunity for black models to “tell our own stories”. Iman helped form the Black Girls Coalition in 1988 with fellow models Bethann Hardison and Naomi Campbell
It made sense to the Global Chic founder who said she came on board so “we could tell our own stories”.
During the interview, Iman shared one of her own frustrating experiences from her early days in the business.
“The first job I booked was American Vogue, literally the third day I arrived in New York, and I had never worn makeup before,” she revealed.
Frustrated: Iman shared one of her own frustrating experiences from her early days in the business, revealing that during her first modeling job, the makeup artist had no foundation to match her skin tone
Makeup: Iman now wears makeup easily. She created Iman Cosmetics to provide options for women of color
She remembers that the makeup artist hired for the shoot was working on a Caucasian model “and then when he approached me, he said, ‘Did you bring your own foundation?’ nothing for me.
This first experience was very different from Iman’s morning preparations, which she shared in a video on Instagram Stories of getting her professional makeup done.
After about two decades of posing for photos and walking the catwalks, the savvy businesswoman created Iman Cosmetics, based on her experience blending her own formulations for makeup artists.
Flawless: A video shared on Instagram Stories showed the runway veteran’s flawless complexion as she waited for the interview to begin
‘I definitely created my own cosmetics because…in fashion, image is my motto, so how I look in magazines, how I look in photos, that’s really, really what they want and so I wanted to have some control over that.’
The former University of Nairobi student said she used her skills as a political science major to shake off what she called ‘symbolism’ in the fashion industry that opposed a model black to another for top positions.
“They created the idea that you dethroned the other black model to have space,” she said of her modeling debut, “I come from this mentality, that in as a group, as a tribe, we are more powerful than individually. So, I teamed up with Beverly Johnson and we became best friends … and we immediately got rid of that symbolism.
Understand: On her efforts to advance black models in the fashion industry, Iman explained: “Instead of calling people or designers, I wanted to call them, so they could understand what was going on “
The world traveler, who speaks five languages: Somali, Arabic, French, Italian and English, said her approach to bringing about change was more carrot than stick.
“Instead of calling out to people or creators, I wanted to call them to understand what was going on.”
The life of Iman’s late husband, David Bowie, is chronicled in the new documentary Moonage Daydream. She didn’t work on this film, but it includes footage of the psychedelic rocker and was made with the blessing of the Bowie estate.
The film received a 91% rating from critics on the Rotten Tomatoes website.
Moonage Daydream: The Moonage Daydream documentary focusing on Iman’s late husband, David Bowie is now in theaters. The film includes archival footage of the rocker and was made with the blessing of his estate
Rave Reviews: Iman did not work on the film. It received rave reviews, scoring 91% from critics on the Rotten Tomatoes website.