Naomi Campbell In Fashion exhibition at the V&A

Name: NAOMI In Fashion
Start: 2024-06-22
End: 2025-04-06
Location: Victoria & Albert Museum

Where? Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington When? 22nd June 2024 to 6th April 2025 10 AM to 5.45 PM (Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun); 10 AM to 10 PM (Fri) Price? £18 · See vam.ac.uk Parking: Nearby car parks Buses: 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430, 710, C1 Bus fares Trains: The closest station is South Kensington Circle District Piccadilly Train fares

The Victoria & Albert Museum will be celebrating the extraordinary 40-year career of fashion model Naomi Campbell, exploring her cultural impact and collaborations with the world's leading designers and photographers.

Naomi Campbell at the V&A, by Marco Bahler

The exhibition includes key outfits taken from her own wardrobe of haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles, and highlights her decades-long activism - from her calls for more diversity on the catwalk, to fronting the famous 'Black Issue' of Vogue Italia.

Becoming Naomi

Naomi Campbell as a young girl, by Martin Brading

The first section focuses on Naomi's childhood in South London and early appearances in music videos for artists like Bob Marley and Culture Club. Her fashion career took off after she was spotted walking around Covent Garden and within three years she had become the first Black model to appear on the cover of Paris Vogue.

Campbell entered the fashion world just as the term 'supermodel' came to represent a very exclusive group, and Naomi soon found herself being championed by the likes of John Galliano, Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.

Azzedine Alaïa & Living in New York

Dress worn by Naomi Campbell in 1991 © Courtesy VERSACE

The next section focuses on her relationship with the Paris-based designer Azzedine Alaïa, whom she came to call 'Papa'. Alaïa regarded her sculptural physique as the perfect body and his figure-hugging designs created runway magic.

By the age of 17 Naomi was living in New York with fellow model Christy Turlington and forged friendships with designers like Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui. She also moved beyond the world of fashion to launch her own perfume.

The Spotlight

Platform shoes worn by Naomi Campbell in 1993 © Courtesy Vivienne Westwood

This section recalls the famous moment when Campbell was ordered to serve a period of community service, and showcases the Dolce & Gabbana gown that she deliberately wore on her final day in response to the hungry paparazzi capturing her arrival and departure every day.

Exemplar & Alchemy

Exemplar explores her early collaborations with Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood while she was still a young woman. These working relationships would turn into decades-long friendships. Alchemy features a selection of photographs by world-renowned photographers such as Steven Meisel, Arthur Elgort, Patrick Demarchelier and David Bailey, that capture her unique alchemy with the camera.