Iman Makes Her Fashion Awards Debut in 2025: “It’s Great to Take Risks”

Even in the U.K., where conversation often drifts to the unpredictable weather, supermodel Iman is undeterred. “I’m good, except for your weather,” she chuckles over the phone, referring to the relentless London rain on the morning of the much-anticipated 2025 Fashion Awards. When asked if there’s a contingency plan for tonight’s red carpet, her response is characteristically bold: “It’s fashion we go for it!”

A First at the Fashion Awards

Surprisingly, tonight marks Iman’s inaugural appearance at the Fashion Awards. “People forget I retired in 1989,” she laughs. Yet despite her absence, Iman has long admired the “beautiful tension between rebellion and refinement” that defines British fashion.

For the evening, the legendary supermodel reunited with London-based designer Harris Reed, the creative force behind her unforgettable 2021 Met Gala ensemble, a gold brocade jumpsuit paired with a crinoline skirt and a dramatic feathered headdress. “Harris has such a poetic eye and designs from a place of storytelling; his creations are filled with drama and emotion,” Iman explains. “His clothes nod to a bygone era, yet feel entirely fresh.”

A Sculptural, Statement-Making Look

“This dress feels sculptural to me like wearable art,” she says. “The silhouette is powerful, the colors evocative and radiant.” While there won’t be a headpiece tonight her Met Gala masterpiece currently “has its own room” in storage she elevated the ensemble with bespoke lab-grown diamond earrings from Pandora, appreciating the “simplicity” and intimate, “personal” feel of the jewels.

Fashion as Storytelling and Risk-Taking

For Iman, fashion is always about narrative and courage. “It’s great to take risks,” she reflects, “to step into something unexpected and let the clothing tell a story. That’s what makes fashion exciting, it's alive.” Tonight, on the London red carpet, she embodied that ethos perfectly: a masterclass in elegance, drama, and understated rebellion.