From the age of three, Campbell attended the Barbara Speake Stage School.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
94/98 Leigham Ct Rd, Streatham Wells, London SW16 2QB, United Kingdom
Naomi studied at Dunraven School.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1973
Naomi in childhood.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1986
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Naomi Campbell on her first big assignment abroad, in New Orleans.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Naomi with her mother.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Naomi as a baby.
College/University
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
23 Goswell Rd, Barbican, London EC1M 7AJ, United Kingdom
At the age of ten, Naomi was accepted to London's prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts to study ballet.
Career
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1988
Deauville, France
Naomi Campbell, photographed in Deauville, France, for Vogue Italy.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1989
Paris, France
Naomi Campbell walks the runway at the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 1989-1990 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in July 1989 in Paris, France.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1990
1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, United States
Naomi Campbell at the Costume Institute Gala - Theatre de la Mode - on December 3, 1990, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, United States.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1991
Naomi Campbell at the Fall/Winter 1991-1992 Azzedine Alaia Ready to Wear runway show.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1991
France
Naomi Campbell at Dior Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 1992 show in France on October 21, 1991.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1991
Naomi Campbell during Thierry Mugler's Spring 1992 RTW runway show.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1993
United Kingdom
Naomi Campbell during Vivienne Westwood's Fall 1993 RTW runway show.
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1994
Naomi Campbell during Vivienne Westwood's Fall 1994 RTW runway show.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1995
Naomi Campbell, photographed for Vogue Spain.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1996
Paris, France
Naomi Campbell during the Spring/Summer 1997 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show on October 1, 1996, in Paris, France.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
1997
New York City, New York, United States
Naomi Campbell during Marc Jacobs' fashion show in New York City.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
2015
Naomi Campbell and Bryshere Y. Gray in Empire.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
2015
Naomi Campbell in Empire.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Milan, Italy
Naomi Campbell at the Laura Biagiotti Spring 1996 show, circa 1995, in Milan, Italy.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
United States
Naomi Campbell walks the runway.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell walks the runway during Vivienne Westwood's Fall 1995 RTW fashion show.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
France
Naomi Campbell models Chloe's RTW (Prêt-à-Porter) Spring 1998 Runway collection, designed by Stella McCartney.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell during Thierry Mugler's Spring 1992 RTW runway show.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell during Vivienne Westwood's Fall 1994 RTW runway show.
Gallery of Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell during Vivienne Westwood's Fall 1994 RTW runway show.
Achievements
2020
Naomi Campbell graces the cover of the November issue of Vogue.
Naomi Campbell walks the runway at the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 1989-1990 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in July 1989 in Paris, France.
Naomi Campbell at the Costume Institute Gala - Theatre de la Mode - on December 3, 1990, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, United States.
86-90 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 7TN, United Kingdom
Naomi Campbell and Carla Bruni pose with designer Gianni Versace at The Rhythm of Life Fashion Ball in aid of the Rainforest Foundation at the Grosvenor House Hotel on May 31, 1992, in London, England.
Naomi Campbell (right) and Christy Turlington, kicking up their heels in front of the Parlange plantation outside New Orleans, wearing embroidered outfits by Todd Oldham.
Naomi Campbell and Italian fashion designer Valentino, whose real name is Valentino Garavani, arrive at the party for the inauguration of three new Valentino's boutiques on September 15, 1995, in Rome, Italy.
From left to right: Erin O'Connor, unknown, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Donatella Versace and Amber Valletta at the 'Diamonds Are Forever' fashion show, hosted by De Beers and Versace at Syon House in west London, on June 9, 1999.
Naomi Campbell walks the runway during the Kenneth Ize Ready to Wear fashion show as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on February 24, 2020, in Paris, France.
Naomi Campbell walks the runway during the Kenneth Ize show as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on February 24, 2020, in Paris, France.
Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington are seen leaving the Fendi: Presentation - Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2021, held at the Palais Brongniart on January 27, 2021, in Paris, France.
(Swan is the world's most successful supermodel. But she d...)
Swan is the world's most successful supermodel. But she doesn't want to live this life forever - even if it means kissing goodbye a cosmetics contract worth millions. There are a thousand girls who'd do anything to get the job, but only five have what it takes. While they all know what they want and how to get it, it's a bumpy ride - and someone is trying to make it a whole lot rougher.
(One of the most successful designers in high fashion plan...)
One of the most successful designers in high fashion plans his fall 1994 collection. Follow the behind-the-scenes look at the creative side of fashion.
(A camera follows model Christy Turlington through the spr...)
A camera follows model Christy Turlington through the spring fashion shows in Milan, Paris, and New York one year in the early 1990s, probably 1992. She and others dash from one designer's unveilings to another. Extended footage looks at Versace and Armani in Milan, Galliano, Gaultier, and Langerfeld in Paris, and Isaac Mizrahi in New York. With Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Turlington, one can see the nature of friendships among models. With the engaging Mizrahi in particular, there's some exploration of the relationship between designer and models.
(A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by...)
A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.
Naomi appeared in the TV series in 1990.
(The wild misadventures of Edina "Eddy" Monsoon and her be...)
The wild misadventures of Edina "Eddy" Monsoon and her best friend Patsy Stone, who live in a nearly constant haze of drugged, drunken selfishness.
Naomi appeared in the TV series in 1995.
(A hip-hop mogul must choose a successor among his three s...)
A hip-hop mogul must choose a successor among his three sons who are battling for control over his multi-million dollar company, while his ex-wife schemes to reclaim what is hers.
Naomi appeared in the recurring role (8 episodes) in 2015-2016.
Naomi Campbell is a notable English model, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist. She became the first black woman to appear on the cover of French Vogue en route to iconic status in the modeling industry. In addition, Campbell has made a number of acting appearances in film and television.
Background
Ethnicity:
Campbell's heritage is a combination of Afro-Jamaican and Chinese-Jamaican ancestry.
Naomi Campbell, in full Naomi Elaine Campbell, was born on May 22, 1970, in Streatham, London, United Kingdom. Her father, a Jamaican immigrant, who was part Chinese, left the family before she was born. Her mother, Valerie Campbell, was born in Jamaica, but grew up in London. A modern ballet dancer, Valerie spent much time traveling throughout Europe with her dance troupe, so a nanny was hired to help raise Naomi and her half-brother, Pierre.
Naomi's father went unnamed on her birth certificate, and she took the surname "Campbell" from her mother's second marriage.
Education
From the age of three, Campbell attended the Barbara Speake Stage School. Like her mother, she was also interested in ballet. At the age of ten, Naomi was accepted to London's prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts to study ballet. She also attended the London Academy of Performing Arts. During this time, Campbell landed bit parts in two films: Quest for Fire (1981) and Pink Floyd's The Wall (1982).
Naomi's career can be counted from 1978, when, at the age of 7, she made her first public appearance in the music video for Bob Marley's "Is This Love." At the age of 12, she tap-danced in the music video for Culture Club's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya."
When Campbell was 15, Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro Model Agency, discovered her in a shopping arcade in Covent Garden, which Campbell frequented after school. Her career quickly took off soon - in April, just before her 16th birthday, she appeared on the cover of British Elle.
Signed to the Elite Modeling Agency, Campbell was soon working with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry, including Isaac Mizrahi, Calvin Klein, and Azzedine Alaia. Earning more than $1 million a year, Campbell's assignments have taken her to many locations around the world. For one of her most exciting - and harrowing - photo shoots, she found herself, standing atop a volcano in Lanzarote, Spain - in heels. Her face was emblazoned on the French, Italian, American, and British editions of Vogue in the late 1980s. In 1988, she made a guest appearance on The Cosby Show.
In the early 1990s, Campbell began to focus more on her other interests. In addition to appearing in Vanilla Ice's film Cool as Ice (1991), she also contributed vocals to a track on the soundtrack. She then recorded two albums of her own: 1994's Love and Tears and Babywoman (1995). Campbell also recorded "La, La, La Love Song" with Japanese singer Toshi, and the song reached number one in Japan. In addition, she appeared in several music videos, including Michael Jackson's "In the Closet" video and George Michael's "Freedom."
Naomi won a small role in The Night We Never Met (1993) and, in 1994, played a model in Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter (Ready to Wear). The following year, she had parts in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and Miami Rhapsody, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Mia Farrow. She also showed talent in a cameo in Spike Lee's Girl 6 (1996). Campbell continued to make guest appearances on such television shows, as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and New York Undercover, in addition to a cameo appearance on the British comedy series Absolutely Fabulous.
It's also worth noting, that, in 1994, Campbell published a novel. The ghost-written Swan presents the story of a successful supermodel, who has decided to quit modeling. The novel was a critical disappointment.
Naomi continued to model, earning fees of $10,000 a day. She was reportedly paid a six-figure sum to appear in Madonna's book Sex, which featured erotic photographs, and she selected all of the pictures for another photo book, called simply Naomi, which consisted of favorite shots of herself, taken by top photographers. Despite her success, however, Elite Model Management, which had represented Campbell since 1987, fired her in September 1993, on the grounds that "no amount of money or prestige could further justify the abuse" to staff and clients. Elite founder John Casablancas described her as "manipulative, scheming, rude and impossible."
Campbell's next venture was the restaurant business. In 1995 she, along with fellow models Elle MacPherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Christy Turlington, and Italian restaurateur Tommaso Buti, launched the Fashion Café. The restaurant was first opened in New York City and was situated in Rockefeller Center. Patrons entered the restaurant through a door shaped like a giant camera lens, and serving staff carried cuisine down a catwalk. The decor included a collection of fashion memorabilia, from Madonna's famous Jean-Paul Gaultier bustier to one of Elizabeth Taylor's wedding gowns. Branches in London, Jakarta, Barcelona, Mexico City, New Orleans, and Manila soon followed.
By 1997, however, Turlington had pulled out of the company, and the next year, investors accused the Fashion Café of mismanagement. The New Orleans and Barcelona franchises were shut down, and Buti resigned after selling his stake in the firm. New management was called in to restore order, however, and the business continued at other locations. The New York branch, however, was later closed and the London restaurant was placed in receivership in 1998. Buti, accused of defrauding investors, was arrested in 2000 and charged with wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and transportation of stolen property.
The next step in Campbell's ever-diversifying career was the development of her own line of fragrances. Produced by Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, her first perfume, Naomi Campbell, hit stores in Japan, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia in the fall of 1999. United States stores welcomed the fragrance to their shelves in June of 2000. Campbell was involved in every aspect of the production process. Not only did Campbell work with Givaudan Roure to create the perfume, but she also worked with Thierry de Baschmakoff to design the bottle and outer packaging.
Naomi Campbell was only the first in a whole line of fragrances. Campbell's second fragrance, Naomagic, was released in the fall of 2000. According to European Cosmetic Markets, this follow-up was "said to free the magical attraction of a woman." Campbell turned to her favorite flower, the lily of the valley, for inspiration in creating this scent. The design for the flacon containing the perfume was also inspired by two stones that she has always carried in her handbag: a rock crystal for energy and a stone talisman for good luck.
In February of 2000, Campbell was still in demand as a model. However, she decided to reduce the number of runway shows she appeared in. Later, in 2007, she walked the catwalk for Dior's 60th-anniversary fashion show in Versailles. The following year, in July, she appeared with fellow black models Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez and Jourdan Dunn on the gatefold cover of a landmark all-black issue of Italian Vogue, shot by Steven Meisel. In September of that year, Naomi, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Stephanie Seymour were featured in "A League of Their Own," a Vanity Fair feature on the supermodel legacy. In 2011, Campbell appeared with Liya Kebede and Iman on the cover of the 40th-anniversary issue of Essence. Then, Naomi performed with Kate Moss and other supermodels in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games, where they modeled haute couture to represent British fashion.
In 2013, Campbell joined the reality TV craze by developing her own model competition series, The Face. Along with serving as a coach and a producer for the program, Campbell created a version of The Face for the Australian television market. She continued to grace the covers of well-regarded magazines, appearing in the May issue of Vogue Australia, the September issue of Vogue Japan, and the November issue of Vogue Turkey, among others, in 2014. In 2015, she closed the Fall/Winter Zac Posen show at New York Fashion Week and was featured in Spring/Summer 2015 campaigns for Burberry and lingerie retailer Agent Provocateur.
Campbell was given the chance to demonstrate her acting skills with a recurring role on the hit American drama Empire, which debuted in 2015. That year, she also appeared on the anthology series, American Horror Story: Hotel. Campbell went on to another recurring role in the musical drama Star, beginning in 2017, before returning to reality television as a judge for the fashion competition series The Cut in 2020.
Meanwhile, she launched a YouTube channel, Being Naomi, and continued her work in the modeling industry by becoming the face of the NARS cosmetics Spring 2019 campaign.
On January 12, 2021, Naomi was appointed Magical Kenya International Tourism Ambassador by Kenya's Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
(Designers compete in New York, Paris and Tokyo to bring t...)
2020
Religion
According to Campbell's mother, Naomi was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. But Campbell herself said she was christened into the Church of England. But then after she began dating Vladislav Doronin, a Russian real estate tycoon, rumors started circulating that she was planning on converting to Russian Orthodoxy in order to marry the billionaire. Also, some sources stated, that, after a visit to Brazil to attend a witch doctor friend's birthday party, Campbell converted to Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian form of Animism. Part of the confusion came when her friend talked about how Campbell was "very interested" in the religion. Campbell later made clear that she was a Christian and is not, nor ever was, a member of the religious sect.
Then, some sources claimed she converted from Christianity to the Jewish-based school of thought when she talked about how practicing it took her "to a positive, calm place." But she later clarified that Kabbalah is not in fact a religion and that she remains a Christian.
Despite all these rumors, Campbell is genuinely dedicated to her faith. She took a trip to Jerusalem over her 42nd birthday for a "religious" trip. She posted on Twitter the following: "Spiritual work is like climbing a ladder. To reach the peak, make sure you are firm on the step you are on, before going up to the next one. But don't stay satisfied too long on it, or you'll lose the motivation to keep climbing, and won't complete the journey."
Politics
Campbell is a Labour supporter, but is mostly focused on fighting racism in the fashion industry. In 2011, she criticized candy maker Cadbury for comparing her to chocolate, prompting an apology from the company. And after Barack Obama was elected America's first black president, she said she thought it was great, but that racism in fashion was only getting worse.
Views
Campbell has given much of her time to charitable works. She has worked with Dalai Lama, raising money to build kindergartens for poor communities. In February of 1998, she was involved with a fundraising event in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. Campbell continued to work with the Children's Fund, developing a close friendship with Mandela.
Campbell's charity, Fashion for Relief, has raised millions for victims of natural disasters and other causes, like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008 and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011. She donated to the Red Cross for use in Somalia relief efforts. In addition, the model is the founder of the charity We Love Brazil, which aims to raise awareness and funds to fight poverty in Brazil through the sale of fabrics made by local women.
Campbell has also supported Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity. She appeared in a print and media campaign for the charity's fundraising initiative Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and she opened a Breakthrough breast cancer research unit in 2009.
Since 2007, Naomi has been serving as the honorary president of Atlha Onlus to further the social integration of young people with learning disabilities. In 2009, she was made a goodwill ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. Alongside Sarah Brown, she has been on a number of missions to promote maternal health.
Throughout her career, Campbell has been outspoken against the racial bias that exists in the fashion industry. She has also spoken out against discrimination. In 2013, Campbell joined fellow black models Iman and Bethann Hardison in an advocacy group called "Diversity Coalition." In an open letter to the governing bodies of global fashion weeks, they named high-profile designers, who used just one or no models of color in their fall 2013 shows, calling it a "racist act."
Quotations:
"If you have to talk to more than three people about the same problem, you don't want help, you want attention."
"I don't think I was born beautiful. I just think I was born me."
"Look, you have to make mistakes. That's how you learn and that's how the world works."
"I love England, especially the food. There's nothing I like more than a lovely bowl of pasta."
"I have no regrets. I've got my health."
Personality
Throughout her career, Campbell has developed a reputation for being notoriously difficult to work with. Her temper reportedly possessed a short and fiery fuse. She has also been known to be perpetually late to assignments or appointments. In addition, she has earned a reputation for making selfish demands, such as insisting on being the first and last to appear on the runway at fashion shows.
Naomi never travels without a Zohar, which is a Jewish religious text.
Among her favorite movies are As Good As It Gets, American Sniper, Twelve Years a Slave and The Color Purple.
Naomi likes Gummi bears.
Physical Characteristics:
In 1994, Naomi gave cocaine a try for the first time. In 1999, she entered rehab after a five-year cocaine drug addiction and alcohol addiction.
Aware of the problems caused by her incendiary temper, Campbell took steps to learn how to control her anger. In 1999, she spent four weeks at the Cottonwood Center in Tuscon, Arizona. While at the clinic, Campbell shared a room with three other patients and learned several anger management techniques.
She used to smoke.
Naomi is 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) tall.
Quotes from others about the person
Francesco Scavullo: "She's one of the most delightful girls I've ever worked with, one of my favorite models. No one else has such an amazing body. She makes clothes come alive."
Audrey Smaltz: "She doesn't realize how wonderful she is. She has terrific body language - most models don't - and can translate this into whatever she's wearing."
Interests
Traveling, cooking, scuba diving, yoga
Politicians
Nelson Mandela
Writers
Biographies; book Ask and It Is Given
Artists
Marilyn Monroe
Music & Bands
Prince
Connections
In February 1993, Naomi got acquainted with U2 bassist Adam Clayton. Later that same year, she became engaged to him. In 1994, the two parted their ways. In 1995, Naomi was in relationships with Leonardo DiCaprio. Later, from 1998 to 2003, she dated Formula One racing head, Flavio Briatore. From 2008 until 2013, Campbell had a relationship with Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin. In 2019, she dated Liam Payne and Skepta.
During her lifetime, the model was in relationships with a number of other men, including Robert De Niro, Hassan Jameel, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Usher.