Naomi Campbell Wears Runway History To Celebrate Her Own

Naomi Campbell is lifting the curtain on her style archives in more ways than one. Yesterday, for the debut of her exhibition NAOMI: In Fashion, Campbell slipped into a vintage suit set from one of her, and fashion’s, most beloved designers: Alexander McQueen.

Campbell stepped out to the Victoria & Albert Museum, where bits and pieces of her personal wardrobe are set to be put on display in June, while wearing a business chic look from McQueen’s fall 2000 collection. The supermodel based her outfit around a longline, strong-shouldered blazer that she paired with matching dress pants. A black button down added a more formal touch to the look as did Campbell’s pointed-toe stilettos.

Truly, it’s rather fitting that Campbell would opt for a McQueen look, especially of the archival variety, to unveil her new exhibition. Yes, the model is showing off some very rare vintage pieces (including a few from McQueen) in the exhibit. But she’s also been a fan of the brand, both on and off the runway, since its inception. She has walked countless shows for both Lee McQueen himself as well as the late designer’s predecessor, Sarah Burton. Back in September, a teary-eyed Campbell closed Burton’s final collection for the British label in a metallic corset gown.

For this specific 2000s collection, named “Eshu” after a deity of the Yoruba religion, McQueen channeled tribal elements through a Western perspective. This particular look was shown on the runway with slicked-back hair, black contacts, white boots, and plunging neckline. Instead, Campbell added her own, more everyday flair to the outfit, instead opting for a wavy hair style and more traditional stylings from the aforementioned top and black heels.

NAOMI: In Fashion will span the model’s decades-long modeling journey, incorporating “Campbell's own extensive wardrobe of haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles from key moments in her career, along with loans from designer archives and objects from the V&A's collections,” per an official statement.

There’s late ’80s Thierry Mugler, Azzedine Alaïa from the ’90s, and Vivienne Westwood’s infamous heels that Campbell took a tumble in during the brand’s 1993 runway show. Oh, and of course, there’s plenty of McQueen, too—from Lee’s earliest collections to some of Burton’s shining moments.