“Black Panther” Naomi Campbell: an exhibition about the supermodel has opened in London

Supermodel and Fashion Icon Naomi Campbell is returning to her London roots, now on display for everybody to see from the 22 of June 2024, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. New of its kind, the multimedia exhibition will host an intimate look into the trajectory of Naomi’s extraordinary career, including a timeline of iconic fashion pieces from famous designers. Naomi spent weeks working closely with the curators and fashion journalists to build an exhibition — this time not from the designers’ or photographers’ perspective, but from her very own. Afisha.London magazine offers an early glimpse into this unique display. 

Curators and creatives took a big step away from the work, leaving Naomi to tell her own story: “She is a cultural significance, and truly, no one walks like Naomi Campbell […] When it comes to fashion, it is usually the designer or creative director that is being celebrated, whereas the model is often forgotten”. With a special focus on her work on racial equality, the exhibition also breaks down the barriers Naomi had encountered when she first entered the world of glamour and stardom.

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Naomi Campbell’s career started out rather unusually and we all love a good rags-to-riches story. At only 15 years of age, she strolled the streets of Covent Garden when Beth Boldt scouted the radiant presence that is her. She would later walk the catwalks, stepping all over the fashion industry that would never be the same. Having been featured on over 500 magazine covers, Naomi paved the way for many models to come. She was the first ever black woman on the cover of the French and Russian Vogue, as well as the TIME. But Naomi didn’t stop there. With an own charity to her name, she continues to inspire creatives around her.

 Her private life is not spared from extravagance either. From 2008-2013 the model dated Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin. At the height of their romance, Doronin made her a present that would later cause all kinds of uproar.  Designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, the model received her very own futuristic mansion. Built under the grounds of a forest in Moscow, the 35,520 sq ft house comes with its own nightclub, a gym, a 20-metre swimming pool and a Japanese garden. On top of the building a 115 ft tall tower, stretched out into the sky — a view to which the billionaire requested to wake up to every day. Every day that is, until the couple separated, leaving Doronin with £109 million of emptiness. The mansion is now reduced to a price of £78 million as the quest for a buyer prolongs.

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Whether the two are on good terms nowadays is uncertain, as the love-nest turned into a money-heist. Naomi filed a lawsuit, claiming that Doronin withheld personal belongings. The ex-lover didn’t take the news all that well, and counter-sued her for £3 million, claiming that he is the one missing valuable possessions. The couple supposedly broke up due to Doronin’s hedonistic lifestyle.    

But Naomi gave the drama no platform on her newest project. The exhibition is solely focused on her and that is attainable the second you step into the hall, greeted with a life-size Naomi rocking the catwalk on screen. Extended onto two floors, the attendees hear Naomi’s voice through speakers on individual displays, accompanying the various phases of her journey. Vintage dresses from her archive, personal belongings, old magazine covers, and video compilations scattered on the walls fill the halls with the same vibrant energy that the model so often conveyed through the camera.

NAOMI: In Fashion will be running from 22nd June 2024 until the 6th of April 2025. Learn more

Cover photo: Naomi In Fashion at the V&A, Supported by BOSS (Photo by Dave Benett)

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