Photo: Courtesy of Victoria’s Secret
As a mother of two, Naomi Campbell’s approach to getting dressed is surely relatable for any new parent. “I don’t have time to really think when I wake up in the morning,” she tells Vogue. “I’m just getting up, getting showered, and putting on whatever feels comfortable.” But a little spit-up here and there can’t keep a fashion fanatic down. “I still love to dress up, and I will always love to dress up. I love fashion, I love workmanship,” she says. Even her off-duty style is cause for envy. “I’m wearing a lot of clothes I’ve had for 10, 15, 20 years—my vintage dresses and stuff like that—because it’s easy.”
Campbell, who announced the birth of her son last month, is enjoying the maternal bliss. When asked about motherhood, her voice grows tender. “It’s the biggest blessing I could ever have. I’m loving it,” she says. “I’ve heard many people say it, and now I’ve gotten to experience that, and it truly is a blessing.”
The supermodel’s new baby boy—who joins her daughter to round out the family of three—isn’t the only major shake-up in her life. On the career front, Campbell will star in the aptly named The Icon by Victoria’s Secret collection and campaign alongside Adut Akech, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser, and brand stalwarts Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, and Gisele Bündchen. The campaign, shot by Mikael Jansson and styled by Camilla Nickerson, features the brand’s new Icon by Victoria’s Secret Push-Up Demi Bra.
“They are all icons, and all have great bodies of work,” she says of her fellow models. “It was great to be again with Gisele and work alongside her.” And she adds that it was also meaningful to be photographed with her mentee Akech, whom she lovingly refers to as “my baby Adut.” While Campbell has shared the runway with her costars time and time again, this campaign shoot begot a new perspective. “I’m not their age. I’m the older one in the group,” she says, laughing. “It’s great to be alongside them. It was a great day shooting too, it was really fun. The movement always brings back out the dancer in me.”
Campbell will also be participating in the Victoria’s Secret World Tour, a reimagining of the brand’s fashion show that will be a medley of runway and documentary and will premiere on Prime Video September 26. The model has made it a personal mission to uplift young creatives whose voices may otherwise go unheard and communicated these contingencies to the brand. “What was really great was that I explained to [Victoria’s Secret’s creative director] Raúl Martinez and his team what I’ve been doing with my narratives and young creatives around the world in the emerging markets and what my goal is and they were able to incorporate that,” she says. For Campbell—who has a track record of championing African fashion with events like the Arise Fashion Week contest as well as efforts to establish a mentorship for African designers at the Kering Group’s Paris headquarters—working alongside Nigerian creatives was a big draw for participating in the tour. “I’m very proud of this whole experience because it wasn’t just me modeling for Victoria’s Secret—it was a collaboration of everyone’s efforts and incorporating young creatives that would never get this platform or this opportunity,” she says.
While undoubtedly an icon of past and present, Campbell is always keeping her eye on the future, not only for herself but for her children and her mentees. She sees the new Victoria’s Secret as a launchpad for the next generation: “I feel that what they’re listening to what the young people around the world want.”
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
