Naomi Campbell's Fashion For Relief Charity Gala Lights Up London Fashion Week.
On 15 September Naomi Campbell brought her global charity event Fashion For Relief, sponsored by Chrome Hearts and Gucci, to London.
The supermodel's charity fundraiser was hosted at the British Museum, and comprised a catwalk show, glamorous gala dinner, attended by 500 A-list guests, and an auction where prized art and designer items donated by Naomi’s industry contacts were sold to raise money for the Mayor's Fund for London. The funds raised will go towards employability programs which offer support for young Londoners from low-income backgrounds.
The items up for auction included art pieces by Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Marina Abramović. Furthermore, Italian designer label Dolce and Gabbana donated two items: the “Eupheme” georgette dress, entirely embroidered with sequins and small bugle beads, and the “Nausicaa” lurex lace cape and Chiffon dress.
There were a few nods to Naomi's own illustrious modelling career in the auction too. Ellen Von Unwerth donated a signed black and white photograph she took of Naomi in 1990 from her personal collection. David Bailey and Mariano Vivanco also donated their photographs of the supermodel, which were taken in 1989 and 2003 respectively.
Campbell said: “I’m truly happy to be bringing Fashion For Relief back to my home town London! We hear so much about the problems facing young people in the capital. One of the underlying difficulties young people have is education – or rather the lack of it. Without the opportunity to learn, they’re more likely to be trapped in cycles of poverty, poor health and forced labour. The fashion industry has really come together with FFR and has shown it’s not just about looking good, it’s about being good and doing good.”
Certainly, the supermodel's charitable show was a coveted ticket on the London Fashion Week calendar thanks to the sheer star power on the itinerary and guestlist. Swedish artist Seinabo Sey kickstarted the evening with a soulful performance, before Naomi Campbell made her London Fashion Week homecoming on the runway, joined by Erin O’Connor, Adut Akech, Tiwa Savage and Damson Idris. For the grand show closer, the South London-born supermodel strutted out with 30 school students from West Norwood’s The Elmgreen School. Naomi invited the students to join her on the catwalk after meeting them in a school visit earlier this year.
Founded by Naomi in 2005, Fashion For Relief has raised millions for disaster relief (UK floods in summer 2007, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami) and humanitarian causes around the world including child refugee crises, maternal health, the fight against Ebola, and more. Since its inception, Fashion For Relief has staged events in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai and Dar es Salaam.
On 2 December, the British Fashion Council will be honouring Naomi with the Fashion Icon Award at the 2019 Fashion Awards, taking place at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The award is in recognition of her incredible contribution to the fashion industry, her world-renowned career as a supermodel, as well as her philanthropic work with charities, and her incredible efforts in creating a more diverse and equal future.
