From Facing Racism to Becoming a Fashion Icon: Naomi Campbell

Supermodel Naomi Campbell was photographed in the desert in 1987 by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier while donning a gold Chanel jacket. It's a historically significant and gorgeous photo. That year, this picture appeared in the December issue of British Vogue; it was the fashion magazine's third cover featuring a black woman. The National Portrait Gallery purchased the image in 2016 for its permanent collection since it is so iconic. It is presently on display at the V&A as part of an exhibition honoring Naomi Campbell's life and work. In the 1990s Campbell became well-known. Back then, it was unusual to see a woman with a darker skin tone in the media. At the time, fashion editors thought that black models didn't sell issues, so this cover was revolutionary. Additionally, it was taken during the first year of Campbell's career, a career that would go on to shatter a great deal more ground. Naomi Campbell Carved Legacy For Black People In Fashion ~ As the fashion expert and writer Michaela Angela Davies puts it: “Black and non-white models are still generally regarded as a trend — seasonal and largely disposable in a mid-20th-century Dior-esque kind of way. Naomi Campbell disrupted that disregard. She was perennial, inevitable, and undeniable. Naomi was the activator.” The first exhibition to ever center on the wearer of the clothing rather than the designer is Naomi at the V&A (Victoria and Albert) It somewhat makes up for the historical underestimation of the important role models play in fashion culture. The significance of the black British model for representation in the fashion industry and broader society is demonstrated by this exhibition. Introduced in collaboration with Campbell, the show includes items from the V&A's collections that symbolize significant times in her 40-year career, as well as loans from designer archives and items from her wardrobe.The tale of her success despite the great obstacles she faced as a young black woman in this historical period, which served as inspiration for her advocacy, is braided delicately along these works and is spread across two floors. (Source: Google Images) A portion of her early years is included at the start of the article. Campbell's voice can be heard discussing "the freedom of expressing yourself through dance." At the age of fifteen, Campbell was scouted in 1985 while following her passion for becoming a dancer. The display demonstrates how her upbringing prepared her for her unanticipated profession as a model. In 1987, Campbell made her runway debut for French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. "No one walks like Naomi Campbell," stated Davies. She moves with the grace of a warrior and deftly negotiates the world of high fashion. Before you even enter the show, visitors are greeted with a video montage of such spectacular walks down catwalks. Campbell may be seen in it stomping on the runways of Prada, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, and Anna Sui. Every frame seems to be an expression of her strong presence and a masterful piece of art. She writes, "God bless," in a description that reads, "This is the feather dress I wore for my first couture." She credits Laurent as the designer who altered her professional trajectory. (Source: Google Images)  Bottom Line ~  This exhibition presents Campbell as a cultural trailblazer as well as a supermodel, emphasizing her role in upending social norms, dismantling barriers based on race, and using her platform to support equality, empower up-and-coming artists, and promote social change. She broke the mold of what was regarded as the accepted beauty standard of the time and defied convention as one of the first black supermodels to earn international prominence. Her professional accomplishments have helped raise the bar for other ethnically diverse models' representation in the fashion industry. We ought to pause and revel in the glamor and beauty this exhibition has to offer while this transformation continues. It honors the ascent of an iconic supermodel and the ability of fashion to change lives.