Naomi Campbell will be honoured with the prestigious Fashion Icon award at The Fashion Awards 2019 later this year, the British Fashion Council has confirmed.
The supermodel will be recognised for her incredible contribution to the fashion industry and her impressive career, as well as her philanthropic work. The news was announced this evening during a glamorous cocktail reception at The Ritz in London.
The Fashion Icon award is one of the Special Recognition awards that celebrate outstanding contributions to the fashion industry. Previous recipients include Donatella Versace, who was presented with the accolade in 2017.
Born in London, Campbell’s career started at an early age, when she was scouted by an agent after school in Covent Garden. With more than 30 years of experience under her belt, the supermodel has graced over 500 magazine covers during her career and has starred in campaigns for the world’s biggest brands – from Burberry and Chanel to Prada, Louis Vuitton and Versace.
She’s become almost as well known for her charitable work as she is for her fashion credentials, having started working with Nelson Mandela in 1993. In 1997, he named her “honorary granddaughter” for her endless activism. In 2013 she launched the Diversity Coalition campaign, with the aim of addressing racism in the fashion industry, and headlined the Forbes Woman Africa’s Leading Women Summit earlier this year, promoting her passion for female empowerment in Africa.
The Fashion Awards 2019 will take place on 2 December at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
