Imeldific!

Is there really an Imelda in all of us?

A couple of years ago, I was in NY riding in a cab. The driver's first words to me, upon learning that I came from the Philippines, was "Did you get to see Imelda's shoes?"

She wasn't as funny when they were in charge. But the same Imelda, without the power, is an almost lovable character.

Here's a Q&A feature from the latest issue of Vanity Fair.

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THE FIRST LADY TREATMENT

Former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, 77, is known as much for her shoe collection and family controversies—the Marcoses were accused of looting as much as $10 billion in assets from the Philippines before her husband's regime was toppled, in 1986—as she is for her philanthropic heart. As Marcos releases her new fashion line, the Imelda Collection, our correspondent learns that there's a little bit of Imelda in all of us.

George Wayne: Imelda, darling, I hope you are ready to get your freak on.
Imelda Marcos: Oh, well, it is a pleasure, because the Imelda Collection was my grandson Borgy's idea. He is a huge Philippine idol here, on television, in magazines and movies.

Is he the ruling playboy of Manila now?
He is the crush of the nation.

So here you are at 77 years old, Queen Imelda deciding that it is time to take up fashion.
I know, the nerve of this woman, Mrs. Marcos. When I was First Lady, for 20 years I was always trying to get the best—in paintings, clothes, jewelry, whatever.

Well, you certainly do have the background: 20 years as the ultimate First Lady. A truly international magnet of style, and a very controversial one.
Borgy said to me, "I want to use your name, Imelda, for a collection of ornamental beauty." And you know, I always say you can never be extravagant with beauty. Beauty is God made real. Beauty is life. And I have a different meaning of beauty, so much so that I was truly impressed when he came up with the Imelda Collection.

You're living now in the Pacific Plaza, in Manila. They sold off most of your old masters at Christie's years ago, but I understand there are a few Picassos and Gauguins still hanging with you in that swanky condo.
The paintings and the jewelry they confiscated, all without any good reason. You know, I won the case of the century in New York, and so the little I have left, I will tell you, was because of some servants of mine, who were able to keep a few pieces in the slum area where they were living.

Well, how is life for you these days, Queen Imelda?
Believe it or not, George: because of my attitude, I am fine. My grandson says, with this collection, "some will ridicule you, but your fans will love you more."

G.W. needs to know right now: where did you first develop this perverse shoe fetish?
To what?

Your love for shoes, Imelda …
Love for soup?

Shoes! Imelda has always loved her shoes.
Well, there is a little Imelda in all of us. I really had no great love for shoes. I was a working First Lady; I was always in canvas shoes. I did nurture the shoes industry of the Philippines, and so every time there was a shoe fair, I would receive a pair of shoes as a token of gratitude. But I always say, "Thank God, when they raided Imelda's closet they found no skeletons, only shoes." But I was well heeled.

When they raided your closets they also found vats of your favorite Christian Dior wrinkle cream and vats of the finest perfume, and tons of receipts from shopping sprees from Boulevard Saint-Germain to Fifth Avenue.
Well, I could afford it then because my husband's assets were worth a lot.

So are you saying that the bank of Manila was your personal piggy bank?
No, no, no. Never.

What ever happened to all those bulletproof bras you supposedly also owned?
That was an exaggeration. I did not have that.

Do you remember the first time you set eyes on Ferdinand, your husband? Was it love at first sight?
Oh, yes, he proposed marriage half an hour after we met, and we were married 11 days after. It was a marriage united in heaven, a fabulous marriage.

Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos were one incredible couple, the likes of which we may never see again.
And he is more with me than ever.

How often do you visit his mausoleum, his crystal sarcophagus?
My daughter is the congresswoman from that district and my son is the governor, so I visit there quite often.

One of my most favorite images of you as First Lady is when you visited the White House for a state dinner. You upstaged Nancy Reagan in the most ravishing gown.
Oh, gosh, but you know the Reagans were dear friends for many years, even when he was governor of California. Nancy appreciated a lot of Philippine-made things.

Imelda, you have had more acquittals than O. J. Simpson, but when Uncle Sam acquitted you of all racketeering and fraud charges, in 1990, that had to be one of the most joyous moments of your life.
After that trial of the century in New York, when I was alone and widowed, the press asked if I was angry and bitter at America. I said I have no bitterness in my heart or anger in my soul. The system worked. God Bless America.

One of the funniest things about that trial, not that it was funny then, was you showing up in court strapped to a portable blood-pressure monitor, which would gurgle loudly in the courtroom every time your blood pressure rose.
Yes, and then finally my blood pressure rose so much, I coughed up blood and collapsed during the middle of the trial. The judge gave me one week to recover.

You always were the ultimate drama queen, Imelda.
And you know what? I won that case on my birthday. I can truly say, George, that I have had no mission that has failed. I am with God.

And the first thing you did after being found not guilty was to head to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where you got on your knees and crept down the entire aisle to the altar.
And yes, it was only coming from heaven on my birthday. What a gift. You know, George, my dreams were always small and puny. All I ever needed was a little house with a little picket fence by the sea. Little did I know that I would live in Malacañang Palace for 20 years and visit all the major palaces of mankind. And then also meet ordinary citizens and the leaders of superpowers. And I prevailed. The world may ask, "Was she a genius?" No. "Did she have a great mind?" No. "What did Imelda have?" What Imelda had was common to all: common sense.

Imelda, have you ever visited one of your drag-queen bars in Manila? Apparently you are very popular among the trannies.
The drag what?

The drag queens, the men who dress as and impersonate women. Imelda is the queen of the drag queens.
Of the gays?

Yes.
The gays will love the Imelda Collection. They will think it "Imeldific!" As I say, there is a little bit of Imelda in all of us.

God made woman, and then he made Imelda Marcos.
The message is, George, let us all make a beautiful world together. You know I have had the best, and the worst. I do believe now that I am still in paradise.

Simply fantastic. You are truly Imeldific.

George Wayne has been a Vanity Fair contributor since 1998.