An Exhibition Dedicated To Naomi Campbell’s Iconic Career Is Launching In London

Naomi Campbell’s career is a testament to longevity, spanning four decades since her beginnings when she scouted in a mall at 15. Since then she’s skyrocketed to superstardom, it goes without saying that she’s one of the original ‘90s supermodels. Campbell is internationally known and is seemingly omnipresent: countless campaigns, magazine covers, and runway shoes. In honor of her life, career, and contribution to fashion, Campbell will be having an exhibition entitled simply and iconically, “Naomi: In Fashion” at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The exhibition which was produced in collaboration with Campbell will “draw 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 collections,” says the V&A in a statement.

Around 100 looks from an array of designer brands spanning Naomi’s career from Jean Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaïa, Alexander McQueen, Gianni and Donatella Versace, Virgil Abloh Yves Saint Laurent, Torishéju Dumi and more will be showcased. For instance, Campbell’s 1989 Thierry Mugler car-inspired corset and the Vivienne Westwood sky-high platforms she famously fell in, in 1993 will be on display.

British Vogue’s former editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has contributed to the exhibition with an installation featuring photos by Tim Walker, Nick Knight, and Steven Meisel. Images of monumental career strides and initiatives inside and outside of fashion will be included such as Campbell meeting Nelson Mandela, working with Iman and Bethann Hardison on the Diversity Coalition since 2013, joining the Black Girl Coalition in 1989, and more. 

“Naomi Campbell’s extraordinary career intersects with the best of high fashion. She is recognized worldwide as a supermodel, activist, philanthropist and creative collaborator, making her one of the most prolific and influential figures in contemporary culture,” Sonnet Stanfill, senior curator of fashion at the V&A tells WWD.

The exhibition will be broken down into the following sections: “Becoming Naomi,” “Supermodel,” “Azzedine Alaïa,” “New York,” “The Spotlight,” “Exemplar,” “Alchemy,” and “Archetype.” These distinct components will distinctly show different moments and key periods throughout Naomi’s life.

Campbell was recently featured in an Apple TV+ docuseries titled “The Super Models” starring herself, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. The series went into depth on their lauded careers in the fashion industry and their long-lasting influences. “I’m honored to be asked by the V&A to share my life in clothes with the world,” Campbell shared in a statement.

“Naomi: In Fashion” will run from June 22, 2024, until April 6, 2025, at the V&A. Tickets are currently available online.