Naomi Campbell walking in Sarah Burton’s final spring/summer 2024 show for Alexander McQueen | photo source credit via @instagram/naomi
The Victoria and Albert Museum, located in London, has announced a fashion exhibition featuring the life and career of the iconic British-Jamaican supermodel Naomi Campbell. This is the first time a model will be the main focus of a V&A museum exhibition. The exhibition titled “Naomi” will cover the four decades of Naomi’s success and impact in the fashion industry.
In every industry, there are industry leaders and icons, in the modelling industry, that industry leader is Naomi Campbell. She has been in the industry for 40 years, and still continues to dominate the runway and steal the show every time with her iconic runway walk.
According to vogue the exhibition will be a, “broad survey of past and present”, with an emphasis on designers who helped shape her early career, such as Azzedine Alaïa (or “Papa”, as Campbell called him), Yves Saint Laurent and Gianni Versace, but also an exploration of her more recent runway looks. The exhibition will span 100 items in total, with pieces from Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Virgil Abloh and more set to be included.”
Exhibition Curators
Naomi will play a key role in the exhibition. Fashion historian Sonnet Stanfill curator of the exhibition told vogue, “for me as a fashion historian, what is so fascinating is the way that her 40-year career intersects with the best of high fashion…we’re telling the story of a career through clothes—clothes that are extraordinary.”
In addition according to Vogue, “there will also be an installation of significant fashion photography, curated by British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, which will capture the “special alchemy she has with photographers, resulting as magic on the page.”
Philanthropy and Giving Back
Naomi is well known for her outreach and philanthropic work. Nelson Mandela was Naomi's very dear friend and mentor, and she often credits him for introducing her to the world of philanthropy and giving back.
The exhibition will showcase her efforts toward championing diversity, her philanthropic work, and her numerous fundraising and charity initiatives.
Takeaway
It's crucial to honor our living icons who have spent decades dominating and mastering their craft and achieving the status of industry leaders. Naomi Campbell's signature runway walk, impact, relevance, and 40-year career remain unmatched.