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1. When my daughter Zulekha was born, I was at the pinnacle of my working life as a model, and I pulled myself in two trying to cope with being both a mother and a career girl.
2. Intelligence is sexy. Don’t play dumb, especially young girls. Don’t play dumb. And let people see that you are intelligent.
3. I tell all my younger friends, ‘Don’t be afraid of change. That is when you truly see what your destiny is.’
4. That is something that my mother instilled in me at a very young age — to know my self-worth. And I have had times again and again in the fashion industry where all of that was tested and I rose to the occasion because I was told that I am worthy and I should be able to walk away from something that is not worthy of me.
5. I like to get up around 5:30 or six — that’s my favorite time of day. My family is still asleep, and the office is still closed, so I can start my day slowly.
6. I don’t look like a white woman. I look Somali.
7. The day you settle for less is the day you will get less.
8. My given name was Zahra, which is the ‘flower of the desert.’ I don’t look anything like the flower of the desert. My name was changed by my grandfather to Iman, which means ‘have faith.’ And it meant to have faith that a daughter would come.
9. Beauty is being comfortable and confident in your own skin.
10. I’m always criticised by other Somalis and Muslims for what I’m doing as a model and married to a white man and all that.
11. I’m against a signature look, as that can be very outdating. But having said that, I also know my best qualities, so I’m not going to foolhardily give away my power.
12. Nobody has ever said to me that I was pretty, ’til I met Peter Beard.
13. I speak five languages besides mine. I went to school in Egypt because girls weren’t allowed to go to school in Saudi Arabia. It’s very restricting, especially for girls; we’re not allowed to go anywhere.
14. It’s really not a good idea to forecast or double guess the fates; you will always be fooled.
15. I believe the universe has great plans for us. When you are young, you don’t learn that.
16. I’ve always said if what I’m going to create doesn’t look good on everybody, I’m not going to do it.
17. I beg you, don’t use the verb, ‘discover’, I hate it. What does it mean, that I didn’t exist before?
18. I arrive in New York on October 15, 1975. On my own, by the way.
19. The difference between rearing a child in your 20s and one in your 50s is one of patience.
20. We are very private, so we decided from early on that we will keep the press and editors and everybody out of our house.