by Anyway, it’s great that the V&A has chosen to profile Naomi Campbell with a dedicated exhibition. The only cultural figures he has already documented with his own shows are David Bowie and Kylie. After walking through the ranks of more than 100 looks worn by the 54-year-old supermodel during her 40-year career, her importance cannot be overstated. Yes, this is about Campbell, but it also serves as a comprehensive visual history of the fashion industry as a whole over the last four decades – the era in which she was a central conduit.
It opens with the plucky 15-year-old ballet student from Streatham, seen by Beth Boldt after school in Covent Garden so the legend goes. She had taken off and was wearing her mother’s jacket and shoes Campbell talks about her modeling story of the origin of her story. She didn’t tell her mother, and she didn’t want to let her know about her casual career around the city.
His ascent quickly diminished the lie. She was on the cover of ELLE before she turned 16. At the age of 17 she was living in New York, at 18 the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue. In the first cabinet are her old ballet shoes, a school photograph as well as a Concord boarding pass and a backstage pass for Yves Saint Laurent. ‘It was not unusual for me to be in New York on Monday, leave that night for Paris, come back on Tuesday and cross the Atlantic up to three times that week.’ She is mentioned.
A dressing room represents her life, an open Louis Vuitton case with notes for Sarah Burton’s (former Alexander McQueen designer) room cards from Claridges, a Polaroid camera and a copy of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. Sadly absent is her own 1994 novel Swan.
A short film pays tribute to the Black Trouble models who came before and alongside Campbell – including Karen Alexander, Veronica Webb and Beverly Peele. The glamor is laid on – here a feathered cocktail frock from Yves Saint Laurent, credited to Campbell for threatening to pull advertising from French Vogue if she wasn’t on the cover. ‘He was a designer… who really helped women of color and changed the course of my career’. An Andy Warhol Versace dress, a Thierry Mugler car corset and a Chanel two-piece complete the line-up of iconic fashion pieces.
Of course, George Michael’s Freedom soundtrack with a video montage of Campbells career highlights, being a video of that song, has endless appearances on the shore – including Versace’s final revenge with her co-stars Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and LInda Evangelista – and dancing with Michael Jackson in the Herb Ritts directed The Closet. She is seen hugging Michael and Nelson Madela (whom she calls Grandpa) and the graceful tumble from Vivienne Westwood’s 30.5cm blue moc-croc platforms in 1993. Those shoes (part of the V&A’s permanent collection) are here, and the look full on them. on a fallen mannequin.
“I’m late but Naomi is always later than me, even at my own wedding she was later than me”
Kate Moss
The following is an article dedicated to his close relationship with the late Azedine Alaïa, in which the shoes he created with his heel based on her feet are among other sensational pieces. Of her body he is said to be saying, “her muscle structure is like that of a racehorse”.
He moves onto a video wall featuring Kate Moss, among many others, (“I’m late but Naomi is always later than me, even at my own wedding she was later than me”) to Janet Jackson (“ Do I look nice. I have to look nice because I’m talking about someone who is flawless.
Balanced against the effusive gushfest of her high-profile fans, there is a foundation of all kinds. Next up is a troubled corner facing her third-degree assault conviction for throwing a phone at her assistant. Ever the professional, we’re shown the W magazine story she shot while on her five days of community service, wearing a full Dolce & Gabbana look, of course.
Upstairs and the wonder unfolds – screens show endless magazine covers from Vogues to Playboy, fashion shows, shows and campaign images. Among the two-story stages are outfits from the last Alexander McQueen Plato’s Atlantis show, the pink feathered Valentino dress she wore to the Met Gala 2019 to, impressively, her peak Covid Hazmat-suit airport look.
If you’re inspired you can also aim to emulate Campbell’s spinning walk, take your turn on the interactive catwalk video set up here. It may leave you feeling a bit like you’ve fallen for Mr Campbell, but this is a great reflection of our Streatham girl’s exclusive position at the center of the fashion industry – and in the face of blatant racism – Alot. against the odds.
You can’t help but be blown away by her tenacity and skill. No one has yet blazed a trail quite like Campbell – as someone who has had the pleasure of seeing her live a few times, it’s always a blessing. Go and revel there. In the words of Boy George, “There could only ever be one Naomi”.
NAOMI: In Fashion, 22nd June – 6th April, 2025 at the V&A, Supported by BOSS
