Model Naomi Campbell Gets Her Own Exhibition at London’s V&A Museum

An assistant looks at dresses on display during a press preview for the "Naomi" exhibition exploring the career of fashion model Naomi Campbell, at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum, in London, on June 19, 2024. (AFP)
An assistant looks at dresses on display during a press preview for the "Naomi" exhibition exploring the career of fashion model Naomi Campbell, at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum, in London, on June 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Model Naomi Campbell Gets Her Own Exhibition at London’s V&A Museum

An assistant looks at dresses on display during a press preview for the "Naomi" exhibition exploring the career of fashion model Naomi Campbell, at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum, in London, on June 19, 2024. (AFP)
An assistant looks at dresses on display during a press preview for the "Naomi" exhibition exploring the career of fashion model Naomi Campbell, at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum, in London, on June 19, 2024. (AFP)

Naomi Campbell brings her stylish looks and runway walk to London's V&A this week in a new exhibition that the museum says is the first of its kind dedicated to a model.

"Naomi: In Fashion" looks at the career of one of fashion's most recognizable faces through key looks she has modelled as well as her influence and activism.

The exhibition, which opens to the public on Saturday, features glamorous frocks, towering heels, as well as a display of Campbell's fashion photos and magazine covers, curated by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful.

"There's been so many exhibitions about fashion designers and fashion photographers but the model is often left out of the story," Sonnet Stanfill, senior curator of fashion at the V&A, told Reuters on Wednesday.

"And Naomi Campbell's remarkable 40-year career is really... proving that she's an exemplar in the field, because not only is she working with the best designers and photographers, magazines in the industry, but also she uses her platform to spotlight the careers of emerging creatives as well."

Campbell, 54, began her career as a teenager and has modelled for fashion heavyweights like Versace, Chanel, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana, among many others. She has also championed African designers.

She was the first Black model to appear on the covers of French Vogue and Time magazine and was also the first Black model on the cover of American Vogue's key September issue.

Outfits on display include a mix of famous fashion names such as the late Gianni Versace and Azzedine Alaïa as well as African designers including Kenneth Ize and Thebe Magugu.

The sparkling Dolce & Gabbana dress Naomi Campbell wore on her last day of community service at a New York garbage depot - after pleading guilty to reckless assault for throwing a phone at her housekeeper during a dispute over a pair of jeans - as well as the blue platform shoes in which she fell on the catwalk at Vivienne Westwood's Autumn-Winter 1993 show also feature.

The exhibition, which runs until April 6, 2025, includes written and audio commentary from Campbell reminiscing over key moments of her career, as well as a makeshift catwalk for those wanting to imitate her runway walk.



Paris Appeals Court Rejects Government's Request for Suspension of Shein's Marketplace

(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)
(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)
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Paris Appeals Court Rejects Government's Request for Suspension of Shein's Marketplace

(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)
(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)

A Paris Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected the French government's request to suspend Chinese online platform Shein's marketplace, defeating an appeal by the state after a Paris court ruled against the government in December.

Shein has ⁠been embroiled in ⁠a scandal since France's consumer watchdog DGCCRF found sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons for sale ⁠on its marketplace last year, prompting the government to attempt to suspend the platform.

In December, a Paris court had rejected the government's request to suspend the Shein site in France as a ⁠whole ⁠for three months, saying it would be "disproportionate", prompting the government to appeal the ruling.

Shein banned all sex dolls and suspended the adult products category from its marketplace globally on November 3 after the consumer watchdog's findings.


Zara Taps British Designer John Galliano for Partnership

Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Zara Taps British Designer John Galliano for Partnership

Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)

Spanish fashion retailer Zara said Tuesday it has entered into a two-year "artistic partnership" with controversial British designer John Galliano.

The 65-year-old couturier will reconfigure pieces drawn from Zara's past collections into new designs, the company said in a statement.

"Guided by a haute couture process and approach, the collections will be unveiled each season throughout the duration of the partnership, starting in September 2026," it added without giving further details.

Zara is owned by Inditex, the world's leading low-cost fashion retailer which posted a record annual profit in 2025 for the third year running.

"To deliver fashion through that enormous platform -- that, of course, that's thrilling. And to be able to work with the kind of resources they have as well, that's equally thrilling," Galliano told fashion magazine Vogue.

Galliano, who previously headed artistry at Givenchy and Christian Dior, has dressed countless celebrities during his tenure, including Kim Kardashian, Kary Perry and Zendaya for red-carpet events.

Known for his flamboyant personality and daring designs, Galliano's career suffered a dramatic setback in 2011 following a drunken rant in a Paris bar where he hurled antisemitic and racist insults at the other patrons.

He was subsequently dismissed from Dior, underwent rehab in Switzerland and apologized for his behavior during a visit to the Central Synagogue in London.

Gibraltar-born Galliano returned to the fashion world in 2014 when he joined French label Maison Margiela as its creative director, a position he held until 2024.

With fast-growing budget fashion retailer Shein taking share at the cheaper end of the market, Zara has moved to attract more discerning shoppers and offered more expensive clothing in recent years.


Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion

Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion
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Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion

Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion

The Fashion Commission organized a virtual open meeting to discuss the international expansion of Saudi fashion brands as part of its ongoing efforts to support the national fashion ecosystem and boost the presence of Saudi brands in global markets.

The meeting aimed to highlight pathways for international expansion, explore opportunities for designers and entrepreneurs in the fashion sector, and review key challenges that brands may face during growth and expansion, SPA reported.

The session is part of a series of open meetings organized by the Fashion Commission to enhance dialogue with the fashion community in Saudi Arabia, sharing knowledge and expertise that contribute to the sector’s development and enable Saudi brands to transition from local growth stages to a global presence.