Who is Naomi Campbell?

Naomi Campbell , born May 22, 1970, is a British fashion model and actress who rose to prominence as one of the "supermodels" of the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell was the first Black model to grace the covers of many high-end fashion magazines. By the late 1980s, Campbell was known as one of the supermodels who earned millions of dollars and gained fame beyond the fashion world. She has been on over 500 magazine covers and has modeled for top designers and brands such as Versace, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. Campbell founded Fashion for Relief in 2005, a charity that raises funds for victims of global disasters and life-threatening diseases. In 2013, she created the Diversity Coalition to raise awareness about racism in the fashion industry.

What is Naomi Campbell known for?

Naomi Campbell, born May 22, 1970, is a British fashion model and actress who rose to prominence as one of the "supermodels" of the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell was the first Black model to grace the covers of many luxury fashion magazines. Beyond modeling, she appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video and had minor roles in television shows and films. Campbell is also known for her philanthropy, including founding Fashion for Relief, a charity supporting those affected by humanitarian crises. In 2013, she co-founded the Diversity Coalition to combat racism in the fashion industry.

When did Naomi Campbell’s modeling career begin?

Naomi Campbell's modeling career began in her early teens; she appeared in music videos and children's television shows. At 15, she was discovered by a modeling scout and signed with Synchro modeling agency. The following year, she landed her first major modeling gig for British Elle magazine. Within a few years, Campbell became the first Black model on the covers of British and French Vogue and Time . By the late 1980s, she was among the supermodels earning millions and famous beyond fashion. Campbell has appeared on over 500 magazine covers and has modeled for top designers, often as the only Black model.

Why is Naomi Campbell considered a supermodel?

Naomi Campbell is considered a supermodel because she was among the elite models who dominated the fashion industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Supermodels like Campbell are very famous, recognized by their first names, and have high visibility through magazine covers, runway appearances, and lucrative contracts. Campbell was the first Black model on many luxury fashion magazine covers. By the late 1980s, she earned multimillion-dollar incomes and gained fame beyond the fashion world. Campbell appeared in George Michael’s "Freedom! ’90" music video with fellow supermodels, a defining moment in 1990s pop culture.

What impact has Naomi Campbell had on the fashion industry?

Naomi Campbell , born May 22, 1970, is a British fashion model and actress who rose to prominence as one of the "supermodels" of the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell was the first Black model to grace the covers of numerous luxury fashion magazines. By the late 1980s, Campbell became one of the most recognizable supermodels, earning millions of dollars and achieving fame beyond the fashion industry. She has appeared on over 500 magazine covers and has modeled for top designers and brands, such as Versace, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. Despite her success, she was often the only Black model featured alongside other models. In 2013, Campbell founded the Diversity Coalition with Iman and Bethann Hardison to advocate against racism in the fashion industry and promote diversity in runway modeling.

How has Naomi Campbell contributed to promoting diversity and inclusion in modeling?

Naomi Campbell has significantly contributed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the modeling industry. As one of the first Black supermodels, she broke barriers and appeared on numerous luxury fashion magazine covers. Despite her success, she was often the only Black model featured alongside other models. In 2013, Campbell founded the Diversity Coalition with Iman and Bethann Hardison to raise awareness about racism in the fashion industry and advocate for diverse representation in runway modeling. Her work with the Diversity Coalition has helped to create more opportunities for models of color and promote a more inclusive vision of beauty in the fashion world.

Naomi Campbell

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Naomi Campbell walks outdoors in a black outfit, with straight hair and glossy makeup, against a blurred background of colorful city lights in Times Square.

Naomi Campbell walks the runway in a flowing yellow and green striped gown, holding the skirt as she models during a fashion show, with seated audience members in the background.

Portrait of Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Lauren Hutton, Beverly Johnson, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell posing together in stylish outfits against a white background.

Naomi Campbell walks the runway in a beanie, cropped suede jacket, and high-slit dress during Marc Jacobs' grunge-inspired Perry Ellis Spring/Summer 1993 fashion show.

Quick Facts

In full:: Naomi Elaine Campbell

Born:: May 22, 1970, London, England (age 56)

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Naomi Campbell

British model

Also known as: Naomi Elaine Campbell

Written by

René Ostberg

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 1, 2026 •History

Top Questions

Who is Naomi Campbell?
Naomi Campbell, born May 22, 1970, is a British fashion model and actress who rose to prominence as one of the "supermodels" of the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell was the first Black model to grace the covers of many high-end fashion magazines.

By the late 1980s, Campbell was known as one of the supermodels who earned millions of dollars and gained fame beyond the fashion world. She has been on over 500 magazine covers and has modeled for top designers and brands such as Versace, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.

Campbell founded Fashion for Relief in 2005, a charity that raises funds for victims of global disasters and life-threatening diseases. In 2013, she created the Diversity Coalition to raise awareness about racism in the fashion industry.
1 Britannica Source
1. Naomi Campbell
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is Naomi Campbell known for?
Naomi Campbell, born May 22, 1970, is a British fashion model and actress who rose to prominence as one of the "supermodels" of the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell was the first Black model to grace the covers of many luxury fashion magazines.

Beyond modeling, she appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video and had minor roles in television shows and films. Campbell is also known for her philanthropy, including founding Fashion for Relief, a charity supporting those affected by humanitarian crises. In 2013, she co-founded the Diversity Coalition to combat racism in the fashion industry.
1 Britannica Source
1. Naomi Campbell
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
When did Naomi Campbell’s modeling career begin?
Naomi Campbell's modeling career began in her early teens; she appeared in music videos and children's television shows. At 15, she was discovered by a modeling scout and signed with Synchro modeling agency. The following year, she landed her first major modeling gig for British Elle magazine.

Within a few years, Campbell became the first Black model on the covers of British and French Vogue and Time. By the late 1980s, she was among the supermodels earning millions and famous beyond fashion. Campbell has appeared on over 500 magazine covers and has modeled for top designers, often as the only Black model.
1 Britannica Source
1. Naomi Campbell
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is Naomi Campbell considered a supermodel?
Naomi Campbell is considered a supermodel because she was among the elite models who dominated the fashion industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Supermodels like Campbell are very famous, recognized by their first names, and have high visibility through magazine covers, runway appearances, and lucrative contracts. Campbell was the first Black model on many luxury fashion magazine covers. By the late 1980s, she earned multimillion-dollar incomes and gained fame beyond the fashion world. Campbell appeared in George Michael’s "Freedom! ’90" music video with fellow supermodels, a defining moment in 1990s pop culture.
2 Britannica Sources
1. supermodel: Top Questions
2. Naomi Campbell
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What impact has Naomi Campbell had on the fashion industry?
Naomi Campbell, born May 22, 1970, is a British fashion model and actress who rose to prominence as one of the "supermodels" of the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell was the first Black model to grace the covers of numerous luxury fashion magazines.

By the late 1980s, Campbell became one of the most recognizable supermodels, earning millions of dollars and achieving fame beyond the fashion industry. She has appeared on over 500 magazine covers and has modeled for top designers and brands, such as Versace, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. Despite her success, she was often the only Black model featured alongside other models. In 2013, Campbell founded the Diversity Coalition with Iman and Bethann Hardison to advocate against racism in the fashion industry and promote diversity in runway modeling.
1 Britannica Source
1. Naomi Campbell
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Naomi Campbell contributed to promoting diversity and inclusion in modeling?
Naomi Campbell has significantly contributed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the modeling industry. As one of the first Black supermodels, she broke barriers and appeared on numerous luxury fashion magazine covers. Despite her success, she was often the only Black model featured alongside other models.

In 2013, Campbell founded the Diversity Coalition with Iman and Bethann Hardison to raise awareness about racism in the fashion industry and advocate for diverse representation in runway modeling. Her work with the Diversity Coalition has helped to create more opportunities for models of color and promote a more inclusive vision of beauty in the fashion world.
1 Britannica Source
1. Naomi Campbell
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Naomi Campbell (born May 22, 1970, London, England) is a British fashion model and actress best known as one of the elite “supermodels” who dominated the fashion industry in the 1980s and ’90s. She was the first Black model to appear on the cover of many luxury fashion magazines. She is also known for her high-profile legal entanglements and philanthropy, which included the founding of the charitable organization Fashion for Relief, which is dedicated to supporting those who have been affected by humanitarian crises worldwide.

Early life and career

The daughter of Jamaican-born dancer Valerie Morris-Campbell, Campbell studied dance and theatre while growing up in London and Rome. By her early teens she had appeared in videos with musical artists Bob Marley and the Wailers and Culture Club, and she had acted in several children’s television shows in Britain. When she was 15 years old, she was discovered by a modeling scout, and she signed with the Synchro modeling agency. The following year she landed her first major modeling gig for the British edition of Elle magazine. Within the next few years, she became the first Black model to be featured on the cover of many prominent Western magazines, including the British and French editions of Vogue (December 1987 and August 1988, respectively) and Time (September 1991).

Personal life and later career

By the end of the 1980s, Campbell had become well known as one of a select group of models, called supermodels, who earned multimillion-dollar incomes and were famous beyond the fashion world. She has appeared on the cover of more than 500 magazines and modeled on the runway and in advertising campaigns for many of the world’s top fashion designers and brands, including Versace, Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent. Despite her success, she was often the only Black model featured alongside other models.

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Campbell’s appearance in British singer George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video (1990) with fellow supermodels Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz, and Christy Turlington was a defining moment in 1990s pop culture. Campbell also posed in Madonna’s controversial book Sex and her “Erotica” music video, both released in 1992. Campbell garnered minor roles and guest appearances on the television shows The Cosby Show (1988), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), and Absolutely Fabulous (1995), and she appeared in the films Ready to Wear (1994), Miami Rhapsody (1995), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), and Girl 6 (1996).

She was often in the news for various legal troubles in the 2000s. She sued the British tabloid newspaper The Mirror in 2002 for invasion of privacy for publishing photos of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. (Narcotics Anonymous offers support to individuals struggling with drug addiction.) She ultimately won the lawsuit in 2004 after several appeals. Other legal issues involved numerous assault charges and verbal abuse claims brought against her by employees. In an “air rage” incident in 2008, she was accused of assaulting two police officers on a flight and was subsequently ordered to perform community service.

Her philanthropy began in earnest in 1998, with the production of a fashion show in South Africa to benefit the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Campbell founded Fashion for Relief, a charity that raises money for victims of global disasters and life-threatening diseases, in 2005. Later, she formed the Diversity Coalition with model Iman and modeling agent Bethann Hardison in 2013 to raise awareness about racism in the fashion industry and demand more diverse representation in runway modeling.

Campbell continued to act throughout her career, with recurring roles in the television shows American Horror Story (2015), Empire (2015–16), and Star (2017–18). She developed a modeling competition reality show, The Face, in 2013. Additionally, she was named a contributing editor for the British edition of Vogue in 2017. She received a Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2018 as well as from the British Fashion Council in 2019. Her other notable projects include an album of pop and rhythm and blues songs called babywoman (1994) and the novel Swan (1994), which was largely ghostwritten. She also released a line of perfumes for women in 1999 and launched the lifestyle brand and event planning company NC Connect in 2002.