The Victoria & Albert Museum celebrates the life and career of the English model.
From June 22, 2024 to April 6, 2025, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum will be hosting an exhibit showcasing Naomi Campbell’s personal wardrobe. Titled Naomi: In Fashion, the collection features garments and accessories the supermodel has worn throughout her four-decade-long career.
A couple of days ago, the supermodel attended an event introducing the exhibit. “Why do I stay, doing what I do? Because my work is not done, I feel,” Campbell said.
The pieces come from well-known designers such as Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa, BOSS, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Ize, Torishéju Dumi, Valentino, Virgil Abloh, Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent, and many others.
The exhibit will also feature images from leading photographers, curated by Edward Enninful OBE. Along with beautiful works, visitors can also learn more about Campbell’s activism and ongoing support of emerging creatives.
“I’m honored to be asked by the V&A to share my life in clothes with the world. The V&A’s fashion collection is one of the largest collections in the world, and it is a blessing to work with them to share my story,” Campbell wrote on Instagram.
A Force In Fashion
Campbell began her public career at only eight years of age, when she was featured in the music video for Bob Marley’s “Is This Love.” She was also in the music videos for Culture Club’s “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.”
Initially training to be a dancer, Campbell enrolled at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre to study ballet. While still a student, a modeling agency scouted her while out in Covent Garden. Before her 16th birthday, she was on the cover of the British edition of Elle magazine.
At that young age, she was already modeling for renowned brands and designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Azzedine Alaïa, and Versace.
In 1988, she became the first Black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue. Only a couple of years into her modeling career, she and five other women had risen to the status of “supermodel.”
Along with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz, and Claudia Schiffer, Campbell paved the way for aspiring models to come.
Banner image via Instagram @naomi.
