NAOMI CAMPBELL

Biography

By her early 20s, the Jamaican-Chinese, British born Naomi Campbell had already conquered the fashion world. In the wake of her conquests she set modeling runways and magazine covers ablaze with a sophisticated, sultry style that has made her both a media star and an international celebrity.

After only a few years in the modeling business, she quickly began breaking new ground: Naomi was the first black model to appear on the covers of Time magazine, as well as the French and British Vogue. Since then, she has become a veritable renaissance woman and proved to be exceptional beyond the realm of supermodel.

noami releases baby woman
In 1995 she made her debut as a recording artist with Baby Woman, released by Epic Records. Her release “La La La Love Song,” with Japanese singer Toshinobu Kubota, reached No. 1 in Japan. Naomi has also appeared in numerous music videos for such artists as Jay-Z, Prince, Usher, Madonna, and in Michael Jackson's sizzling video “In The Closet,” directed by Herb Ritts.

As a side note, in addition to working with Usher, she has also been romantically linked to the performer. Other high-profile men she has been linked to include, Damian Aspinall, Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Eric Clapton, Joaquin Cortés, and Enrique Palacio.

naomi does film
Naomi has also made a name for herself in the world of film and television -- appearing in roughly 20 productions. Her credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), New York Undercover (1995), Miami Rhapsody (1995) opposite Antonio Banderas, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mia Farrow, Spike Lee's Girl 6 (1996) costarring Madonna and Theresa Randle, Invasion of Privacy (1996), Prisoner of Love (1999), and The Call (2005) with John Malkovich.

In 2006 and 2007 Naomi also appears in Karma, Confessions and Holi and Go Go Tales.

naomi the philanthropist
Naomi coauthored the bestselling novel Swan, published by Heinemann/Mandarin, which she followed up with the photo book titled Naomi. The book is a personal selection of photos from photographers Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel, Richard Avedon, Ellen Von Unwerth, and Peter Lindbergh.

Proceeds from the sales of the book are donated to the Red Cross Somalia Relief Fund. Naomi is also active in many other initiatives supporting underprivileged children.

She has also joined the Dalai Lama in fundraising efforts to build kindergartens for poor communities worldwide, through UNESCO. The first was built in Campbell's name in her spiritual home of Jamaica.

Giving us guys something to cheer about, she reportedly engaged in a lesbian kiss with Kate Moss for a charity fashion show presented by Nelson Mandela in 2001. Now, there’s a cause we can get behind.

In 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, Naomi contributed in the organization of Fashion Relief, which raised more than $1 million for the hurricane victims.