A Very Discreet Girl
Moda May 1987
interview: Donata Kalliany
English translation: Francesca
She
grants few interviews, she isn't a party girl, but she works a lot, while
waiting for her husband Simon Le Bon to come back from tours and boat races.
An "Arabian Style" model wife? Yes, but she's got two passions...
She's one of those people whose strength lies in being silent and discreet. Top model Yasmin Le Bon (now 22 years old) has won the universally wanted Simon Le Bon just by appearing on the pages of a magazine a year ago. Apparently, she didn't lose her self control when he, won by her deep glance and by her simplicity, kicked up a shindy to find out her phone number through the model agencies and ask her out for dinner. She didn't even faint with surprise. Any other would have given anything to be with that star, who, apparently, had become shy, awkward and romantic, and get married to him shortly afterwards, in a small ceremony, like only true VIPs do?
Yasmin always remained calm and collected even when she had to face the unpleasant phenomenon of her husband's thousands of fans, who harassed her for months with hoards of anonymous letters, outraged phone calls and floods of fury, critiques, envy and jealousy. She didn't utter a single word, when he, just married, left for New Zealand to get ready for the third leg of the boat race world tour, leaving her in Oxford (Yasmin's elected hometown, though her father is Iranian), scared to death.
Wicked innuendoes
She didn't even break her dignified silence when the papers began to hint at a flirt between Simon and another top model he met in Auckland, Maree Herbert.
Nadreh Parvenah, Yasmin's sister, spoke then in her place, saying that it was all made up, that Yasmin was furious, and Simon called her on the phone every single day, that he loved her to bits, and only wicked people could throw out such wicked innuendoes. Yasmin remained invariably silent.
"This is her strength," points out Ann Le Bon, Simon's mother. "Yasmin is a clever girl and she knows that, should she keep him from endangering his life, she'd end up tiring and disgusting him."
Simon says
He is mad about her. Simon himself said so to Moda's staff, in New York while Yasmin was having a shower after the fashion shots. She has no time left for herself, he said, having to fulfill her modelling engagements and to follow him in his "rock star engagements."
He talked then, about their untameable, inexhaustible passion; about
his desire of a baby, a family; of the fact that he had encouraged Yasmin
to keep on working, even if she insisted on staying at home (the expensive
house in Knightsbridge, London), giving up everything, dedicating herself
completely to the task of making him happy. I'm a good husband after all,
he says, whose only vices are sailing boats and a few pints of beer every
now and then, which is not much, considering the environment.
Finally he spoke of her passions. Which passions? Himself, he giggled. And the second one? The second passion, beyond him, are racing cars. Actually, Simon has already bought her a smashing Jaguar for her birthday, but Yasmin's dream is a Formula 1 Ferrari, obviously red. Yes, Yasmin is into cars and motors, she's an expert, just like a mechanic. Ever since she was a little child she could be seen among mechanics, Simon says proudly.
The buzz of the shower goes off, and now it's time to go out for dinner, sorry.