Naomi Campbell Biography

Fast Facts

• Began working with Nelson Mandela to promote the welfare of African children in 1997
• Created the non-profit organization Fashion for Relief in 2005 to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina through charity fashion shows
• Was the first black woman to be on the cover of French Vogue and the first black model to be on the cover of Time magazine
• Appeared in music videos for Bob Marley and Culture Club and was discovered by Synchro modeling agency when she was 15 years old
• Quickly progressed from a catwalk modeling career to advertising campaigns for companies like Francois Nars and Ralph Lauren
• Quote: "There were certain designers who hadn't used models of color in their shows, and Christy [Turlington] and Linda [Evangelista] said․․․'If you don't take Naomi, then you don't get us․' My friends․․․stuck up for me․․․that doesn't happen in fashion․"
• Quote: "I make many mistakes․․․So I always get nervous when people speak about something that sounds like a role model․ Because I don't know if I've been a great [one]․ I don't think I have in certain aspects of my life․․․But I'm trying to do better․"
• Best known as one of the five original supermodels who gained significant popularity during the 1990s
• Is the executive producer of the reality TV series "The Face," and also serves as a coach and mentor to the contestants
• Is the co-author of the novel "Swan" as well as a self-titled photo book