Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaia’s works shine in V&A’s Naomi Campbell exhibition

Naomi: In Fashion will also feature a dress first seen at Dubai Fashion Week, as well as pieces by Alexander McQueen, Versace and Vivienne Westwood

Naomi In Fashion at the V&A, Supported by BOSS (Photo by Dave Benett Getty Images for Victoria & Albert Museum)

An exhibition dedicated to British supermodel Naomi Campbell opens at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum on Saturday.

Naomi: In Fashion draws upon the model’s extensive haute couture and ready-to-wear pieces and showcases some of her career's most memorable looks, from the red carpet to the runway.

Renowned for her indomitable presence on the runway and her impact on fashion, Campbell’s exhibition, which German brand Boss sponsors, features more than 100 outfits charting her storied career.

Reflecting on the exhibition, Campbell says: “I’m honoured to be asked by the V&A to share my life in clothes with the world.”

Her close connection to the Middle East has been evident through some of her outfit choices, not least through the late Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaia. Campbell shared a strong professional and personal bond with him, becoming somewhat of a muse to the designer. This is a focal point of the display, with many of Alaia's creations worn by the model displayed in a dedicated area, celebrating his works and the partnership between the two.

They struck up a close friendship in the early days of her career and Campbell, who never knew her father, often affectionately referred to Alaia as her “papa”. He became pivotal to the growth of her career, Campbell even lived with him in his Paris home, as he introduced her to the industry and many of its professionals.

Campbell and Alaia worked closely together until his death in 2017. She wore many of his custom-created designs and fronted countless fashion shows for the brand. Famed for his figure-hugging dresses that sculpt the body, the Tunisian-born designer famously said that, to him, Campbell had the “perfect body” and that it inspired much of his work.

The exhibition features a leopard-print knitwear bodysuit from Alaia’s autumn/winter 1991 ready-to-wear collection, famously captured in a photograph by Herb Ritts in 1991 for Interview magazine.

Other notable looks from the pair include a black and white striped halterneck dress from the spring 1996 collection worn at Campell’s fragrance and bodycare launch event in 2000, as well as the beaded turquoise gown she wore at the opening of Alaia’s first exhibition in Paris in 2013.

In addition to Alaia designs, visitors can expect to marvel at creations by Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Vivienne Westwood and Dolce & Gabbana.

A standout dress designed by Rizman Ruzaini and worn by Campbell at last year's Dubai Fashion Week is also showcased. Founded by Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Jami, the Malaysian brand released its spring/summer 2024 collection in the UAE in October, with Campbell closing the runway show wearing the black and silver embellished cape dress, which is now on display at the V&A.

The designers, who attended the exhibition launch in London, shared their joy of being featured online. "We are still pinching ourselves that a Rizman Ruzaini creation is part of the exhibition," a post on their Instagram reads. "The fact that she personally asked for our dress to be a part of her exhibition, to be described as one of the iconic moments in her career, is just crazy."

They say their inclusion is "truly the stuff that dreams are made of".

The exhibition, running until April, promises other notable highlights such as a dramatic 1989 Thierry Mugler car-inspired corset, a pink Valentino ensemble worn at the 2019 Met Gala and the infamous Vivienne Westwood platform shoes that led to Campbell's memorable fall during the 1993 runway show.

In addition to more than 100 outfits on display, the showcase features fashion photography with images of the designer, captured by photographers such as Peter Lindbergh, Nick Knight, Campbell Addy and Steven Meisel, from a selection curated by British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enniful.

Reflecting on the exhibition, Sonnet Stanfill, senior fashion curator at the V&A, says she is "delighted" to be working with Campbell. She adds: “Naomi Campbell’s extraordinary career intersects with the best of high fashion. She is recognised worldwide as a supermodel, activist, philanthropist and creative collaborator, making her one of the most prolific and influential figures in contemporary culture."

Naomi: In Fashion runs at the V&A, London, until April 6