Naomi Campbell has walked countless high-profile catwalks, appeared on the cover of nearly every major magazine at least twice, hosted a reality TV show, starred in a music video for a Bob Marley song, and was called “the reigning megamodel of them all” in her early-‘90s heyday. But in her 31 years in the industry, there's still one thing she's yet to do. As Campbell told ES Magazine in a new interview, "I’ve never done [a beauty campaign] for anyone."
Despite being the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue, of American Vogue’s iconic September issue, of the boundary-breaking all-black issue of Italian Vogue, Campbell says she still faces prejudice in the industry. “People say, ‘Oh, you’ve got beautiful skin,’ and yet I’ve never done [a beauty campaign],” she told the publication. Why? The author of the interview writes of her response, ““She gives me a look that says, ‘You know why.’”
When it comes to diversity and inclusion, the fashion and beauty industry has made tremendous strides since Campbell first made her debut as a model on the cover of British Elle, just before her 16th birthday. But just because it’s better doesn’t mean it’s perfect. We’ve still got a lot of work to do — and you can bet that Campbell will continue to come out swinging for her fellow models of colour.
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