Few people can command global recognition by a single name—Iman, born Iman Abdulmajid, is one of them. A muse of the world’s best-known designers, from Yves Saint Laurent to Gianni Versace and nearly everyone in between, Iman captivated the Paris and Milan runways in the mid-1970s with her unmistakable presence and poise.
That signature sense of self soon extended beyond the catwalk, as Iman became a fixture on red carpets and at major awards shows, wearing sparkling creations from many of the top labels she walked the runway for. Her marriage to the late David Bowie, from 1992 until his passing in 2016, remains one of the most iconic—and stylish—unions in celebrity history. And nearly five decades after her runway debut, Iman continues to be a formidable presence, leaving her mark on the worlds of entrepreneurship and activism.
Here, relive the best of Iman’s singular fashion sense, from the 1980s all the way until now.
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In 1981, a fresh-faced Iman attended that year’s Met Gala with Calvin Klein.
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Even while relatively new to the modeling scene in 1982, Iman had her signature style already down to a science.
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Separately, Bowie and Iman are fashion royalty. Together? The couple never failed to deliver on the fashion front.
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Before the fashion girls of today were busy rocking this sheer Alaïa bodysuit, Iman wore it to a 1991 premiere, of course.
Iman has always known how to make a statement, so her style evolution really just goes from best to better over the years. Exhibit A: This simple black suit Iman-ified in 1991 by voluminous hair and an overload of pearls.
Exhibit B: This full head-to-toe checked look in 1995.
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No one pulls off gala dressing like Iman.
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Jean Paul Gaultier outfitted the runway star in this shimmering tangerine dress for the 1995 VH1 Fahsion & Music Awards.
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Iman and Bowie even dressed up for the airport terminal.
Iman has never been one to stray away from color. For the opening of Chanel’s NYC Flagship in 1996, the model must have made quite the entrance in this neon ensemble.
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Iman is fashion royalty, so why wouldn’t she dress like it at the 1997 Met Gala?
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Iman, in Versace, and Bowie knew their way around a black tie dress code.
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Partying like it’s 1999.
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Iman arrived at the 2000 Met Gala in peak style—and with Naomi Campbell as her date.
Glittering from head-to-toe is how Iman does the little black dress.
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The model has never been shy about mixing patterns.
No one wears denim like Iman—especially at the opening of the Louis Vuitton NYC store in 2004.
In recent years, Iman has traded in her bold furs and accessories for more refined silhouettes. But as this sparkling white dress (at the 2005 CFDA Awards) proved, she has no plans of blending in anytime soon.
And proved she still had her signature It-factor at the 2013 amfAR Inspiration Gala in New York.
The model chose a fashion forward Juan Carlos Obando look for the 2014 CFDA Awards.
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In 2021, Iman made her triumphant return to the Met Gala, attending the event for the first time in 18 years in a jaw-dropping Harris Reed look complete with a halo.
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The model brought her penchant for suiting (and sparkle) to Broadway in 2025.
This article was originally published on Sep. 12, 2015
