One of the five original supermodels, Naomi Campbell is, without doubt, one of the most prolific and influential profiles of contemporary culture today.
Campbell was born in London, England and caught her break as a fashion model when she was just 15 years of age. Throughout her illustrious career, she has fronted the covers of more than 1000 magazines and has been featured in advertising campaigns for celebrated luxury houses, including Burberry, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino. Her instantly iconic runway walk showcasing the collections of Chanel, Azzedine Alaia, Christian Dior, and Versace has made her a global sensation.
As a barrier-breaking le
One of the five original supermodels, Naomi Campbell is, without doubt, one of the most prolific and influential profiles of contemporary culture today.
Campbell was born in London, England and caught her break as a fashion model when she was just 15 years of age. Throughout her illustrious career, she has fronted the covers of more than 1000 magazines and has been featured in advertising campaigns for celebrated luxury houses, including Burberry, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino. Her instantly iconic runway walk showcasing the collections of Chanel, Azzedine Alaia, Christian Dior, and Versace has made her a global sensation.
As a barrier-breaking leader, Campbell has championed the industry receiving numerous accolades. She was the first black model to appear on the cover of TIME magazine, French and Russian Vogue, as well as the first British black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue. In 2017, Campbell was named Contributing Editor of British Vogue by Editor-in-Chief, Edward Enninful. In 2018, Campbell received the honor of two Fashion Icon Awards- one presented by GQ and the other by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Beyond her work in the fashion industry, Campbell’s celebration has included cameos in countless TV shows, music videos and films, including I Feel Pretty, Zoolander 2, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Madonna’s “Erotica,” Bob Marley’s “Is This Love,” George Michael’s “Freedom!” and Michael Jackson’s “In The Closet.” She has also starred in the Lee Daniels’ Fox musical drama STAR, playing the role of Rose Crane and has recently been seen as a recurring guest star on both FOX’s breakout hit drama Empire and FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel. Campbell executive produced and appeared as a supermodel coach on Oxygen’s acclaimed series “The Face,” which aired in the US in 2012 and 2013. In her role as executive producer, she brought in fashion designers, photographers, publications, products and contest partners, and created unique, real-life opportunities for the contestants. The series also aired in the UK and Australia.
In April 2016, Campbell released a limited, two-volume Collector’s Edition book “The Art of Beauty” designed by British pop art luminary Allen Jones, celebrating her remarkable career amidst the greatest legends of fashion and photography with jaw-dropping images and exclusive autobiographical text.
Campbell has used her celebrity for an array of fundraising and non-profit initiatives across the globe. Her most prominent work for Africa began in 1993 when she met the late Nelson Mandela. In 1997, he named Campbell an “Honorary Granddaughter” for her endless activism. 2018 will see the continuation of her work in South Africa as she co-hosted Global Citizen’s New York Festival, and will co-produce the organization’s benchmark event Mandela 100, this coming December.
Human Rights and Global Health, as it specifically pertains to women and children, have been critical sectors of Campbell’s work. In partnership with the United Nations, she has supported the International Women’s Day’s Peace March, which aims to end violence against women. As an advocate for HIV/AIDS research, Campbell has worked with UNAIDS, where she conceptualized a collaboration with designer Marc Jacobs to design a limited-edition T-shirt to raise funds for the charity’s activities in support of people around the world affected by HIV. In 2018, she visited Lesotho with UNAIDS to tour a hospital and adolescent center designed to offer youth-friendly sexual health services and launched The Lesotho HIV and Health’ Situation Room’ alongside the Deputy Prime Minister.
Recognized as a role model for all ages, Campbell is refocusing her efforts on the next generation. In 2019, she will co-host the One Young World summit, which brings together the world’s most promising young leaders in an array of disciplines.
Environmentalism is also near to Naomi’s heart as she has been a founding supporter of KnotOnMyPlanet- a campaign raising funds for the conservation and rehabilitation of African Elephants. In just three years, the organization has raised over $7 million. In order to spread her philanthropic efforts, Campbell founded her non-profit Fashion For Relief. Since its inception in 2005, the organization has presented charity fashion shows in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam, raising millions of dollars for various global crises.
Today, Campbell is undoubtedly solidifying her place as a cultural innovator- using her incredible platform and success for positive change across industries around the world. Her next endeavor will aim to integrate African and international luxury markets- bringing storied retailers to countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco, as well as introducing African artists to global audiences.
