While many of her colleagues of the late 1980s — like Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington — have moved on from the runways, the 38-year-old icon continues to turn heads at the world’s top fashion shows.

“I’m very grateful for my career, but I worry for the girls after me for the opportunities they get — the way they get treated. And this is one of the reasons I still do what I do,” she told Reuters in a weekend interview in Nigeria.

Campbell, who as a teenager was the first black model to grace the covers of the French and British editions of Vogue magazine, said many fashion designers still favored fair-skinned models over their dark-skinned counterparts.

“I don’t do so many shows anymore, but I do count how many girls of color they use in the shows. It happens to be last year New York was the worst,” the British bombshell said, wearing a simple white short-sleeved top and blue jeans.

“Now at Paris Haute Couture there was only one black girl out of all the shows. It cannot be a trend.”

Italian Vogue decided to use mainly black models in its July edition to highlight the problem.
“For me, it is something that is history-making. Something that I’m going to keep forever,” she said about the magazine, which has a photo of her on one of four different covers.
The magazine also includes Tyra Banks, Iman, and other black actors, models and singers.

CUT FROM THE PROGRAMME

Campbell traveled to Abuja and Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos over the weekend to help kick-off a series of summer concert and fashion shows. It was her first trip to Nigeria, a developing country of 140 million people.

The festival, sponsored by Nigerian newspaper This Day, will make stops in Washington next month and London in October and aims to showcase Africa’s best music and fashion.

But the opening in Nigeria’s capital Abuja started five hours later and Campbell, along with the fashion show and all of the local African music acts, was left out of the show.

North American acts Jay-Z, Rihanna and Usher were the only ones to perform for the thousands of fans, some of whom paid as much as 60,000 naira ($508) to attend, a fortune in a country where nine out of 10 people live on less than $2 a day.

Campbell’s career has been overshadowed recently by her troubles with the law. Last month, she pleaded guilty to assault in an expletive-filled “air rage” incident in London and was sentenced to serve 200 hours of community service.

She spent five days mopping and cleaning toilets as part of a community service sentence in New York last year after throwing a mobile phone at her housekeeper during an argument over a pair of jeans.

Campbell did not specifically address her tirade against two British police officers and a British Airways captain, an incident she has said was partly prompted by someone calling her a black “Golliwog” doll.

Hi, I’m Shercole and I’m an addict. Yes, I have finally come to admit it to the world. I have been dealing with addiction, since before Katrina but went in to full force September 2005.

Yes, I’m addicted…addicted to sales (unless it’s already cheap). Sales of shoes, purses, dresses, shirts, pants, everything. If there is a sell I’m there looking and feenin for something on sale. I don’t even think I’m adequate enough to buy something full price anymore, especially when knowing in the back of my mind it will be on sale the next week. It’s such instant gratification to buy a formerly expensive item for pennies. I just wonder if there are others out there like me. If so reveal yourself… and your favorite sales spot.

Dos

I am really feeling this all-in-one piece. She made all the right choices by keeping it simple with her accessories…this outfit doesn’t need anything extra. Even though not everyone can rock this, she does it well and she gets a thumbs up from me.

I think that even in the 21st Century, we should definitely rock and show off our cultural side. These two ladies look cultural chic in their motherland meets city chic attire. They get a big fist in the air from me.

I am loving the cut of this. I can’t tell if this is a dress or a top but either way it works for a hot night in N.O. Her hair and makeup is flawless and takes nothing away from the main focus of the top/dress. Cudos for you missy!

There is nothing like a cute empire waist dress in a fabulous print. Almost anyone can rock this look, especially in our heat plagued city. This look is very versatile, being able to wear it for a day shopping or out to a night concert. Tres Chic indeed!

Sequence pieces are very big this summer and will continue to be throughout the fall. I love this gold sequence dress. Its very retro but so modern as well. With her hair slicked back and stud earrings, homegirl is blinding them with her style!

Don’ts

I’m not sure the nude tights work with this shirt…not a dress but a shirt. And ‘ol girl with the white dress and black tights clearly tried to follow and her girl’s footsteps but got it wrong just like her. This trend walks a fine line between being cute and being trashy. If you choose to rock tights, please do it with discretion.

Booty shorts are only for video girls…clearly you missed the memo. I’m not feeling this at all! And she finished it off with merlot wedges…me no likey.

Its sad that when Essence comes around, the street walkers come around too. Let me stop…she needs something to support the girls because the dress alone isn’t cutting it. And I don’t mind people wearing weave, until it gets to the point where you can barely see their face. Otherwise this is an ok dress for the right body-type. Keep trying, girl, you’ll eventually get it right.

What a hair stylist does for your ‘do, a fashion stylist does for your wardrobe!

It is the job of a fashion stylist to help a client figure out what “look” he or she desires and then help him or her get it. If a rocker chick is looking to tone it down for an interview, if an aspiring executive hopes to look the part, if a politician needs a new image, or if a mom desires to reclaim a lost sense of style and sophistication, he or she might consult a fashion stylist.

Ultimately, a fashion stylist is an image consultant. Professionals in this line of work have a keen fashion sense that is paired with an equally strong ability to recognize the desires and individuality of their clients. It is no big secret: we come in all shapes and sizes, and we have various personalities and lifestyles. We all want to look good, but we all want to look…well, like ourselves. A fashion stylist knows how to help clients choose outfits and accessories to compliment body type and sense of individuality.

Becoming a fashion guru takes dedication, experience, and pizzazz. Most fashion stylists start out in the fashion industry - working in various positions, including retail sales, buying, advertising, and journalism. Our tip to stylist hopefuls: soak up all of the knowledge and experience of the fashion industry that you can. Whether you start out selling pantyhose at Macy’s or picking up the fashion editor’s morning latte, keep your ears and eyes open! Knowing and learning as much as you can about the fashion industry will only prepare you to launch your own dream career.

Another tip: get experience by offering your services to family and friends. Everyone has the cousin whose wardrobe is stuck in the 1980’s. Help your cousin out and practice your consulting skills! Don’t be afraid to believe in your talent, and be adamant about marketing your services - even from the beginning. If you work hard, continue to engage in fashion design training, and want it bad enough you will eventually get a chance to show what you can do. Seize and dress every opportunity in a pair of Jimmy Choo’s!