Model Millionaires: Naomi Campbell

By Calynn M. Lawrence
Instagram – @fairytalefacesbycalynn

Naomi Campbell has been a world wide modeling mogul since practically the dawn of the industry. She has been the face of black women on the fashion scene for decades and she is not stopping any time soon! You more than likely already know a few things about this fashion heroine. Nonetheless, this article is going to give you insight on some of Naomi’s career highlights.

Discrimination amongst darker skinned models was very prevalent in the prime years of Naomi Campbell’s career. However, with the help of her starkly unique presence and a list of industry connections, she was able to overcome any disadvantage that she may have had by being one of few of black female high fashion models at that particular time.

Some examples of her triumphant experiences in over coming prejudice in the fashion industry include the following: In December of 1987, she landed the cover of British Vogue Magazine as the first black woman to land a front page feature in well over two decades. In 1988, she became the first black female model to get a front page feature in French Vogue in the publication’s entire history! This was with the help and influence of her friend and industry mentor, Yves Saint Laurent, who adamantly threatened to withdraw his advertising campaign and investments in the magazine unless they expressed equal opportunity for black cover models as they did whites.

British Vogue Cover 1987

French Vogue Cover 1988

Many of Naomi’s countless pursuits after giving modeling a break include venturing into fashion design, releasing a music album, acting and owning a host of restaurants. Although quickly discovering that none of these were fit for her, she found something that was better suited to her.

In 2013, she began as a judge and coach for the modeling competition series, “The Face.” The series has been going pretty strong since its beginning and has an active fan base who especially favor Naomi and her team. This is not surprising as Naomi has the most experience out of the three coaches and is the most well known, along with ruling with a slight iron fist to really drive her team members to success and completion. For her it isn’t just about competition, it’s about making a difference with these participants so that whether they win or lose they depart having been given useful knowledge and practical skills.

Naomi Campbell now stands at an estimated net worth of over $48 million. With this fortune, she continues to give back to community not just with her fierce fashion influence but by contributing to many charities including those for poverty, disaster relief and breast cancer awareness. What a role model!