Contributor

Naomi Campbell

Model, Actor, Activist, Mentor and Executive Producer of The Face

Iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell has defined the face of fashion for an entire generation. Naomi’s unique combination of beauty, glamour, wit and determination has sent her soaring to the top and enabled her to become not only one of the world’s most celebrated models but one of the world’s greatest personalities.Incredibly, this year sees the 27th anniversary of Naomi’s career in fashion, indisputably a landmark date in the industry.Naomi Campbell was the first black model to grace the covers of TIME Magazine, French and Russian VOGUE, the first British black model on a British Vogue cover and has appeared on over 500 magazine covers such as Italian VOGUE, Japanese VOGUE, Elle magazine, I-D magazine, LOVE Magazine, Glamour, Harpers Bazaar, Interview, W magazine, Vanity Fair and GQ to name a few. She is also one of the world’s top supermodels. It’s Naomi’s international success that has opened the door for a whole new model set to follow in her footsteps.

Born in Streatham, England in 1970 Naomi was discovered at the tender age of 14 while hanging out with friends in London’s hip Covent Garden. Soon after she had the entire fashion world clamouring to capture her inimitable look. Living out the dream so many wish for, Naomi’s enduring career in the highly pressurised and demanding fashion industry has become the benchmark of true success. Being British, Naomi continues to bring visibility for British fashion onto a global scale. She has led campaigns for the world’s leading fashion and lifestyle brands such as being the face of Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, NARS cosmetics, Pepsi Cola, Sobe water, Dennis Basso, Dsquared2, Pinko, Ralph Lauren and David Yurman.

Embraced by fashion’s greatest, Naomi has worked with the world’s top photographers including David Bailey, Patrick DeMarchelier, Steven Meisel, Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Ellen von Unwerth, Mario Testino, Mario Sorrenti, Helmut Newton, Seb Janiak, Steven Klein, Peter Lindbergh, Mert and Marcus and Nick Knight. She has been the centerpiece of award winning ad campaigns for Versace, Ralph Lauren, Dolce&Gabbana and many more. She is currently fronting campaigns for designers including Givenchy and Dolce&Gabbana.

Growing up immersed in the fashion world as she was, it comes as no surprise that her mentors and closest friends are legendary designers including Azzedine Alaia, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent and the late Gianni Versace and Alexander McQueen. Naomi’s personality, energy and spirit for life that emanates from her makes her unique walk on the runway a designer’s dream and a muse to so many and 25 years later, she still plays a large role in New York, Paris, Milan and London’s fashion weeks.Naomi continues to channel her interests and talents into a wide range of other creative ventures such as being a contributing editor for prominent magazines such as GQ interviewing high profile individuals including Lewis Hamilton, Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela and Christina Kirchner, President of Argentina. Naomi guest edited the April 2010 issue Russian Vogue featuring editorial shoots of her by Steven Meisel, Solve Sundsbo and Mario Testino. Naomi’s exploits as a surprisingly skilled interviewer caught the eye of Interview Magazine in Germany and Russia and they commissioned her to do a series of prestigious interviews including Ronnie Wood and Julian Schnabel. In addition, Naomi has appeared in films by Michelangelo Antonioni, Steve DeMarco and Spike Lee and has also starred in videos with Bob Marley (at age 7) Michael Jackson and George Michael.

As a skilled businesswoman and entrepreneur, Naomi launched the first ever celebrity perfume 10 years ago. She has since launched with Procter & Gamble ten highly successful fragrances. Her commitment is such that Naomi immerses herself in every stage of her fragrances’ creation and promotion. In March 2007, Naomi was acknowledged with the prestigious FiFi award in Berlin, for her achievements in the fragrance industry. In June 2010, Naomi collaborated with Fiorrucci to design a capsule collection of 15 denim products as part of the brand’s revival. Naomi’s work takes her around the globe and she is constantly on the go with editorial and ad shoots, fashion shows and charity work. She has just recently filmed a documentary interview with CNBC for their highly successful ‘CNBC Meets’ series, which is due to air on 28th September 2011. The programme provides a fascinating insight into Naomi’s life as an international fashion superstar and her dedication to philanthropic work, particularly through her own charity, Fashion For Relief.

Awards that Naomi has picked up over the years have included the Black Girls Rock “Fashionista” award, which was presented to her in October 2009 for her 25 year career in fashion and for her work with maternal health charities such as CARE. October 2009 also saw Naomi named as the winner of Russian Glamour Magazine’s 2009 “Woman Of The Year Award” in the International Woman of the Year category, and the “Fashion Icon” award at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Front Row charity event in New York. She later went on to receive a celebrated UK “Elle Style Award” for “Outstanding Contribution” in February 2010 to add to the “Elle Style Award” for ‘Best Model” which she won in 2007. In October 2007, BRAG, The Black Retail Action Group Inc., honoured Naomi with the “Special Recognition Award” to celebrate her promotion of the acceptance and participation of men and women of colour at all levels of the fashion industry. In 2005 she was awarded the “”Marie Claire Prix De La Moda Award” for “Best Model” and a year later in 2006, Naomi picked up the award for “Outstanding Contribution” at the “Glamour Magazine Women of the Year Awards.” In October 2010, GQ Russia named her ‘International Woman of the Year’ and later on in December of the same year, she was given the ‘Special Recognition’ Award by the British Fashion Council. She will also be given an award at the Angel Ball this October which recognizes her commitment and dedication to charity work.Naomi’s success extends far beyond the runway as she continues to shine in the limelight as a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur and social advocate for the charities which she is involved with. Naomi’s work with a wide range of charities has grown and grown over the years. She is quite obviously driven by a desire to help those less privileged and fortunate. Naomi explains “I’m so grateful for the exciting and rewarding life that I’ve led. One of the many things my career has enabled me to do is travel the world and see what’s really going on out there in people’s lives. It’s made me determined to help in anyway I can and being able to call upon many great friends in fashion and the entertainment world has given me the opportunity to do something practical to help. I don’t do charity work for public adulation, I do it because I want to and if there is something I feel particularly drawn to I want to help in the best way I can.”

Naomi’s charity work includes ongoing projects with Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Fashion For Relief, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Quincy Jones’ Listen Up Foundation, The UNESCO orphanage in Jamaica, Fidel Castro’s Cuban Children’s Fund and Naomi is also godmother of the Italian Atlha Onlus association which supports young people with special needs and disabilities. Naomi has a very special and deep friendship with Nelson Mandela who she works with on his charity projects. She was named the international ambassador of Rio de Janeiro by the city’s Mayor Cesar Maia. At a meeting in 2006, Naomi and the Mayor agreed to work on various projects for her charity We Love Brazil, which she founded for the children of Brazil. In 2008 Naomi launched a clothing line for Brazilian clothing company Daslu, her collection Naomi 284, supports education programmes for children in the South American nation.

Her tireless support for those less fortunate is outstanding, from the Townships of South Africa to the favelas of Brazil, to her own Fashion for Relief and Neon initiatives worldwide, Naomi has proven to be a force to be reckoned with and has successfully driven campaigns to raise awareness and funds for women and children living in crisis.

Fashion for Relief was created in 2005 by Naomi as a way to mobilise and involve the fashion community worldwide to raise funds in times and places of need. The hugely successful shows saw celebrities and VIPs such as Faye Dunaway, P Diddy, Christian Slater, Beyonce, Prince Azim, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenburg, Tyson Beckford, Yasmin Le Bon, Gwen Stefani, Faye Dunaway, Cilla Black, Jane Fonda, Bruce Forsythe and Trudie Styler just to name a few who have taken to the catwalk to model clothes donated from the world’s most prestigious designers, such as Burberry, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Valentino and Dior. Of these Naomi says “I am so very grateful to everyone who has been involved and helped make FFR the success it has become. It has been so important to me. I’m proud that in our little way the fashion industry has made a contribution”.

To date Fashion For Relief has helped raise over £5 million for worthwhile causes.

2005 Fashion for Relief – New York, helped raised invaluable funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

2007 Fashion For Relief – London, raised funds for the Rotary Flood and Disaster Appeal for Great Britain after the UK summer floods of that year.

2008 Fashion For Relief- London, organized a celebrity charity catwalk, which included the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood.

2009 Fashion For Relief – Mumbai, India (March 2009), in tribute of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the terrorist Attacks of 2009. The show, which was supported by various Bollywood stars who walked the catwalk for the cause, raised money and awareness of the Citizens For Justice and Peace Foundation.

2009 Fashion For Relief – Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (November 2009), Naomi teamed up with EMNET, Africa’s largest TV station to put on a fashion show to raise awareness of the maternal health issues for women in Tanzania.

2010 Fashion For Relief Haiti – New York and London. Naomi raised funds for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti by supporting organizations such as CARE who advocate the health needs and rights of women and girls around the world, especially supporting its partners in Haiti at this time to rebuild the healthcare system for mothers and children.

2010 Neon – Moscow, Russia. This year Naomi also launched Neon, a fashion and art initiative, working with Dasha Zhukova to raise funds for the Northern Crown Foundation and the Iris Foundation which aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and children aiding the development of young emerging artists from under privileged backgrounds.

2011 Fashion For Relief Pop Up Store, London. Naomi worked with Westfield shopping centre to create a unique pop up store which sold items donated to Fashion For Relief in aid of The Prince’s Trust, a charity that helps change young lives.

2011 Fashion For Relief, Cannes. Naomi put on a catwalk show and auction during the Cannes Film Festival to raise funds for The Japanese Red Cross to help those affected by Japan’s natural disaster. The funds help to bring much needed comfort and some semblance of normality to communities that have been devastated by the tsunami.

In the autumn of 2013 Naomi joined Bethann Hardison and Iman to form the Diversity Coalition, speaking out for racial diversity in fashion. The conversation these leading women started has had a huge impact in the fashion industry, inspiring fashion houses, designers and fashion publications to reassess their practices. The Diversity campaign will be an ongoing project.

Naomi Campbell acted as Executive Producer and on-screen mentor on Oxygen’s acclaimed series “The Face,” in the USA, which aired in winter 2012. In her role as executive producer, Campbell brought in key fashion designers, photographers, publications, products and contest partners, and created unique, real-life opportunities for the contestants. “The Face” USA series two will air in the spring 2014.

The UK series of "The Face" launched in September 2013 and aired throughout the Autumn on Sky Living to critical and public praise. “The Face” Australia was filmed in the winter of 2013 and will air on the Foxtel network from March 2014. Advanced conversations are underway to take “The Face” to other territories across the world.

Naomi Campbell continues to be a formidable force in the world of fashion, and has used her success to establish herself as an entrepreneur whilst always helping others in need through her charity work.For more information: www.naomicampbell.com