Black Women Who Slayed History: Naomi Campbell
This Black History Month, we’re highlighting the black woman who helped make our world what it is today. Today, we honor supermodel, Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell was able to take the fashion and modeling industry by force in such a powerful way and has managed to give her career in modeling longevity.
Campbell was born on May 22, 1970 in London, England. As a child she took classes at a stage school and was featured in Bob Marley and Culture Club videos before getting discovered as a supermodel at the age of 15.
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She is well known for being one of the first of five original supermodels. After being discovered at the age of 15 she rose to supermodel status relatively quickly. She opened a tremendous amount of doors for black women in the modeling industry being the first black model to grace the covers of French and Russian Vogue and the first British black model to be featured on the cover of British Vogue.
Naomi Campbell dominated runway modeling and walked for a host of the most well known designers including, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Fendi, Oscar dé la Renta, Balmain, Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Anna Sui and many many more.
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Outside of the modeling world, Campbell has tapped into acting and has also donated much of her time to charity and giving back. She has starred in television shows and films like, The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Zoolander 2, American Horror Story, Star and Empire, to name a few.
In 2013, she launched her own reality television series, The Face for aspiring models to gain the opportunity to make it in the industry. Since the creation of the show, it has expanded to the UK and Australia.
Naomi Campbell created Fashion For Relied in 2005 to help raise funds for Hurricane Katrina, since then the charity has hosted shows in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow and other places around the world to raise money for various charities.
Throughout her lifetime Naomi Campbell has been known for breaking barriers, setting trends and commanding the attention of the fashion industry. Unlike many other models whose careers seem to die out and lose momentum, Naomi Campbell has been a moving force for over 30 years and doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. For more information about this Black History Month queen click here.
Photo in cover image by Jesse Gross
