Naomi Campbell

 Naomi Campbell

Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970)[5] is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. In addition to her modelling career, Campbell has embarked on other ventures, including an R&B studio album and several acting appearances in film and television, such as the modelling-competition reality show The Face and its international offshoots. Campbell is also involved in charity work for various causes.

Naomi Elaine Campbell was born in Lambeth,[1] South London to Jamaican-born dancer Valerie Morris on 22 May 1970.[7] In accordance with her mother's wishes, Campbell has never met her father,[8] who abandoned her mother when she was four months pregnant[7] and went unnamed on her birth certificate.[8] She took the surname "Campbell" from her mother's second marriage.[7] Her half-brother Pierre was born in 1985.[9] Campbell is of Afro-Jamaican and Chinese-Jamaican descent. Her Chinese heritage comes through her paternal grandmother, whose surname was Ming.

Campbell spent her early years in Rome, Italy, where her mother worked as a modern dancer.[10] On their return to London, she lived with relatives while her mother travelled across Europe with the dance troupe Fantastica.[11] From age three, Campbell attended the Barbara Speake Stage School[12] and at 10 she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied ballet.[7] She also attended Dunraven School.

In 1978 at age 8, Campbell made her first public appearance in the music video for Bob Marley's "Is This Love".[14] She tap-danced in 1983 in the music video for Culture Club's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Mistake number 3", in 1984.[10] She had studied dance from age 3 to 16, and originally intended to be a dancer.[15] In 1986, while still a student of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro Model Agency, while window-shopping in Covent Garden.[16] Her career quickly took off—in April, just before her 16th birthday she appeared on the cover of British Elle.

In 2014, Campbell covered the May issue of Vogue Australia, the September issue of Vogue Japan, and the November issue of Vogue Turkey; the latter two were special editions celebrating Campbell and fellow supermodels.[32] Campbell also covered the Vietnamese, Singaporean and the 35th anniversary Latin American edition of Harper's Bazaar.[33] In 2014, Campbell was named TV Personality of the year by Glamour Magazine. The award was presented at the annual Glamour Women of The Year Awards in London.