Where Are They Now? Naomi Campbell

The supermodel and high-fashion icon graced the pages of the 1992 and ’97 SI Swimsuit Issues.

Naomi Campbell / PL Gould/Getty Images, Mick Hutson/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Kym Illman/Getty Images, Samir Hussein/Getty Images, Robert Huntzinger/Sports Illustrated and Sante D’Orazio/Sports Illustrated

British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been a staple on runways and magazine covers for decades.

Born on May 22, 1970 in Lambeth, South London, the 54-year-old spent several of her early years in Rome, Italy, where her single mother was a dancer. She has two stepbrothers, Richard and Pierre Blackwood.

Campbell first began her modeling career at the age of 15 and was declared as one of six original supermodels of her generation. Known for her fierce runway presence, she made history as the first Black woman to appear on the covers of Time and Vogue France, and has hosted multiple modeling competition series on television. She made her Victoria’s Secret runway debut in 1996, and worked with the brand for six years.

Today, Campbell is a passionate advocate for ethnic diversity on runways and in the high-fashion scene, and is a vocal activist for a number of causes close to her heart.

Naomi Campbell / Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Naomi Campbell and SI Swimsuit

The two-time SI Swimsuit model, who was captured by Robert Huntzinger in Spain for the 1992 issue, returned to the brand in 1997, when she traveled to Canaima National Park, Venezuela with photographer Sante D'Orazio.

Naomi Campbell’s film and television career

Campbell's influence and power to create change goes beyond the runway. Her television career has included appearance on several popular reality competition series, including Germany’s Next Topmodel, where she’s helped guide the next generation of aspiring models. 

She’s also taken on roles behind the scenes, producing The Face and hosting Miss Universe 2001, Making the Cut and No Filter with Naomi, as well as the UK, U.S. and Australia versions of The Face.

Naomi Campbell / PL Gould/Getty Images

Campbell, who received an honorary Ph.D. from the University of the Creative Arts in London for her contribution to the fashion world, made her big screen debut in 1991’s Cool as Ice. In 2016, she made a cameo in Zoolander 2 and, in 2018, starred alongside Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps in I Feel Pretty.

She starred in the long-awaited The Super Models documentary on Apple TV+ last year, a series that took an inside look at some of the most iconic supermodels of the 1990s. It examined how Campbell and others dominated the modeling and fashion scene, and created a powerful bond that “shifted the power dynamic” of the industry.

Naomi Campbell’s family life

Campbell welcomed her daughter via surrogate in May 2021, and kept the pregnancy a secret until making a surprise post on Instagram. She and her 9-month-old daughter then posed for the cover of British Vogue’s March issue the next year.

She welcomed her son in June 2023, once again staying silent and keeping her news out of the spotlight until her baby was born.

Naomi Campbell’s activism

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Campbell continues to be a vocal advocate for numerous causes. She has used her platform to raise awareness about issues such as racial diversity in the industry and the Ebola crisis in Africa. She’s also involved in a few charities like the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Fashion for Relief. Campbell and the former South African president were close for several years and he even referred to her as his “honorary granddaughter.”