Supermodel opens up on challenges as a model because of her skin colour

olamide olarewaju

April 25, 2016 10:43 AM

Naomi Campbell opens up on her experiences as a dark skinned fashion model in a new interview with Yahoo Beauty.

Naomi Campbell

The British supermodel who referred to what she went through as "territorialism" has made her name a force to reckon with in the international scene. She made the first model to appear on the cover French Vogue in 1988 after being told it was an impossible feat.

She said she experienced "territorialism" when she launched her modelling career because of her dark skin.

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She noted she made the history making French Vogue cover by pushing herself, "I have always risen to every challenge and so basically my other friends had a French Vogue cover and I was like, 'Why can't I have one too?

"And at first they said no, because they had never had anyone [like her] on it. It was instantly no without thinking. So I thought 'Let me go to my great friend and tell him', since I was his contract girl. I asked him to fix the situation and he did. That is how I got it."

On the segregation in the industry, Campbell revealed it's a cliché but definitely a case of "territorialism" as against "racism", "I never use that word 'racism'. I find it a cliché word and I don't want to use it as an excuse. For me it what I call territorialism – where there are people that have that certain territory and they stand their ground and they are not going to change their mind and that is their opinion."

A lot of dark skinned models including Alek Wek, Jordan Dunn and more have been vocal about the segregation going on in the fashion modelling industry.

What do you think of the plight/experiences of dark skin models in the fashion industry?

olamide olarewaju