“NAOMI: In Fashion” at the V&A
NAOMI. Exhibition view. Photo: Birgitta Huse.
“Walking in high blue platform “super elevated gillie” shoes in Vivienne Westwood’s ready-to-wear autumn/winter show in Paris, Campbell created fashion history when she fell smilingly.”
“Naomi Campbell whose voice is heard in the exhibition telling her stories stating she “never thought I was going to be a model” until she was approached aged 15 by model agent Beth Boldt in London’s Covent Garden.”
“Apart from the fashion on show it is Campbell’s memories and stories that make this exhibition remarkable.”
“NAOMI: In Fashion” at the V&A
From “A” as in Aso-òkè Coat to “W” as in “Walk like Naomi”
★★★★★
WRITTEN BY DR BIRGITTA HUSE, 20.06.2024
“It does not matter that you fall down but it matters how you deal with it” is a popular wisdom which perfectly applies to how Naomi Campbell’s model career was propelled by a famous mishap in 1993. Walking in high blue platform “super elevated gillie” shoes in Vivienne Westwood’s ready-to-wear autumn/winter show in Paris, Campbell created fashion history when she fell smilingly. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired these shoes and now presents them reunited for the first time with the Westwood ensemble and recreating the fall scene in the exhibition “NAOMI: In Fashion” in V&A South Kensington.
Blue platform shoes. Courtesy Vivienne Westwood. Photo Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Campbell’s fall during the Westwood show 1993. Photo: Birgitta Huse
Interactive exhibition installation. Photo: Birgitta Huse
Between this piece of runway history at the beginning of the exhibition and the interactive installation “Walk like Naomi” fashion designer’s creations are presented together with Campbell’s personal stories about her relation with each of these pieces. It is the first “model exhibition” meaning that the focus is on the model’s career and not on the fashion designers work alone says Sonnett Stanfill, Senior Curator, Fashion, V&A. “Naomi is telling the story, not the V&A (…) Naomi Campbell’s extraordinary career intersects with the best of high fashion. She is recognised worldwide as a supermodel, activist, philanthropist, and creative collaborator, making her one of the most prolific and influential figures in contemporary culture. We’re delighted to be working with Naomi Campbell on this project and to celebrate her career with our audiences.” The exhibition is supported by BOSS which is the core brand of HUGO BOSS, the company based in Metzingen, Germany, and one of the leading companies positioned in the premium segment of the global apparel market.
Naomi Campbell whose voice is heard in the exhibition telling her stories stating she “never thought I was going to be a model” until she was approached aged 15 by model agent Beth Boldt in London’s Covent Garden. Two years later Campbell “graced the pages of British Elle and the front cover of British Vogue and was walking for acclaimed designers in London, Paris, Milan and New York” an exhibition text explains. Campbell recalls for that time that “I had to be apprehensive and aloof and cautious, just until I could get my footing and feel comfortable”.
The first part of the exhibition offers Karl Lagerfeld’s for Chanel Gold Jacket and Blue Breeches which Campbell wore for the British Vogue Cover 1987, Azzedine Alaïa creations and more fashion history pieces. Creations from Campbells New York time with Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Bill Blass and Donna Karan follow.
Exhibition view with an interactive magnifying glass. Photo: Birgitta Huse
Campbell, the global celebrity, comments about her life in the spotlight with “I’m not a perfect human being. I have to learn from my mistakes.” It is not only glorious successful moments which are featured in the exhibition, Campbell’s court-ordered community service being an example. Apart from Campbell’s own views those of people she worked with are exposed. Zac Posen for example, the designer of the Green Feathered Dress (2004) in the V&A show, says that “she was an amazing shepherdess for me entering fashion really just part of my history. The DNA of the brand.” Posen’s work was discovered by Campbell when he was a student at Central Saint Martins, London, before he returned home to New York in 2001.
Exhibition View. Photo: Birgitta Huse
The exhibition continues with its second part upstairs. 42 fashion creations are presented behind glass, eight more creations are “posing” on podium with Campbell starring in videos behind the exhibits on magazine covers, in many different positions and dresses. The range and variety of exhibits and stories told by Campbell via the explaining texts impresses. Just two examples are the exhibits which were created by McQueen and Coperni. Campbell wanted to have Alexander McQueen’s Reptile-patterned Look with Armadillo Boots from 2010 “because I know the design, the intricate workmanship that went into it is a piece of art in itself”. Coperni’s 2024 Grey Suit with Green Shirt includes a unique accessory on the lapel, an Ai Pin designed by Tech company Humane which intends to replace mobile phones. Some of the other names are Oliver Rousteing for Balmain, Virgil Abloh for Off-White, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace. Campbell’s relationship with the Aso-òkè Coat by Kenneth Ize from the Ready-to-Wear collection Autumn/Winter 2020 seems to be especially close, as it features in a photo with her and with only five other creations. Campbell and Ize met 2019 at ARISE Fashion Week in Lagos, Nigeria. “In the following year, Ize made his Paris Fashion Week debut, crediting Campbell with helping him to secure a spot on the coveted schedule” is explained. “Campbell closed the show wearing this sleek tailored coat made from aso-òkè, a hand-woven Yoruba textile.”
Photo by Dave BenettGetty Images for the Victoria & Albert Museum
“NAOMI: In Fashion” is a must-see London exhibition of 2024 and 2025. Apart from the fashion on show it is Campbell’s memories and stories that make this exhibition remarkable. Unfortunately, most of the exhibits are only to be seen from the front and partially from the sides. How the back of the dresses looks like is left to imagination. The twelve creations presented in the two upper glass cases are not easy to spot due to their display height in the room. The exhibition visitor who is looking forward to having a close and rather concentrated look at Campbell’s stories and owned or worn fashion creations during her career so far in a rather calm environment may be disappointed. Naomi’s voice, changing music and frequently moving videos on one side of the upstairs room play their leading role instead. One of the many exhibition highlights certainly is the interactive installation “Walk like Naomi” which inspires visitors to walk themselves. Also, having access to ephemera from Campbell’s collection is a curiosity that the exhibition offers.
NAOMI: IN FASHION at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, is on show from 22.06.2024 to 06.04.2024. Supported by BOSS.