The V&A opens the major exhibition NAOMI: In Fashion, which explores the unequalled 40-year career of fashion model and cultural icon Naomi Campbell (b. 1970). A trailblazer in the field, her celebrated ability to ‘walk’ the catwalk, along with the special alchemy she creates through collaborations with every major fashion house, fashion publication and leading fashion photographers, ensure that after four decades in the fashion industry, Campbell continues to star in catwalk shows, advertising campaigns and editorial fashion shoots around the world. In parallel, Campbell’s cultural leadership, activism and championing of emerging creatives transcend the traditional parameters of the fashion model role. The exhibition draws upon Campbell’s own extensive wardrobe of haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles from key moments in her career along with loans from designer archives and objects from the V&A’s collections. The exhibition recognizes also Campbell’s mentors including prominent public figures such as Nelson Mandela, who inspired her to use her platform for social change. Campbell has advocated for equity from an early age, joining the Black Girls Coalition in 1989 and fronting the 2008 ‘black issue’ of Vogue Italia. Along with Bethann Hardison and Iman, she has also campaigned for The Diversity Coalition since 2013 to champion diversity on the catwalk. The exhibition also spotlights her ongoing active support of emerging creatives, through events such as Arise Fashion Week and her global initiative EMERGE, founded in 2022.

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