The model told American Vogue on Friday that the fashion industry is still in dire need to achieve equal opportunity and become more diverse.
“It’s still not balanced completely. I’m the face of a new campaign and I was told that because of the colour of my skin a certain country would not use my picture,” she said.
“I never believe in the hype, so I just kept things in perspective for me. Now I would like to know that models [of colour] get the same opportunities and fees in advertising,” she added.
Campbell believes that in order to ensure the fashion industry becomes more racially diverse, models based in Africa need to be introduced into the wider fashion network. She noted that she saw models during Arise Fashion Week in Lagos “who have no idea how special they are and how great they look.”
“It’s about making them part of the bigger network by affiliating them with agencies in London, Milan, Paris and New York,” she added.
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Campbell has been a role model for battling racism in the fashion industry for years. In 1988, at 18 years old, she became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue at the request of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. A year later, Campbell became the first black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue’s coveted September issue, widely regarded as the most significant fashion publication of the year.