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Naomi Campbell Interview
IF THERE is one label that British supermodel Naomi Campbell wears proudly on her designer sleeves, it is that of a diva. Naomi Campbell with her new boyfriend Matteo Marzotto of Valentina S.p.A. Campbell: 'Kids' welfare is also important to me because I love children.' Known just by her first name, notorious tantrums and fiery temperament, the term fits her like a baby T-shirt. Oh, and like all divas, the audience is always kept waiting. “Ms Campbell is still doing her hair and make-up,” a PR minder explained nicely to the crowd, which had been waiting for her arrival. The London-born Campbell, 33, flew to Singapore from London last Tuesday evening for the official opening of the Valentino flagship store on the same night. After what seemed like an eternity, one of the world’s most famous beauties finally arrived, to a frenzy of flashing bulbs. Considered one of the best catwalk models around, Campbell, up close, is stunning – delicate even. Her hair hanging down to the waist, with a tight chignon on top of her head, the 1.78-m clotheshorse moved like a panther through the 250-strong crowd of invited guests who had assembled in front of the Valentino shop for a glimpse of her. Upstairs, in the rest of the mall, shoppers stopped in their paces to peered down at the famous model. She was hard to miss. Dressed in a red vintage Valentino gown, her 34-23-32 (86-58-81cm) silhouette boasted a feline grace. Her Hershey-kissed skin, upturned almond eyes and full luscious lips prompted one guest to declare: “She is a work of art!” Yet behind the tarantula lashes and lip-glossed pout, Campbell looked a little nervous and child-like. Almost shy, even. Later, after the public appearance, she curled up on a chair inside the dressing room of the boutique and afforded this reporter a few minutes – 10 to be exact – of her time. She avoided eye contact and sometimes fidgeted for no apparent reason. Her voice is a weird mix of an even-throated Americanised drawl and a South London accent, where she hails from. With her head hanging down and eyes looking up – a pose she assumed throughout the interview, Campbell looked convincingly vulnerable. While polite to a fault, she warned, upfront, in a soft but courteous voice that personal questions were out of bounds. What she would like to talk about, she informed, were her charity work, her new perfume and her good friend, Valentino. Then, she proceeded to tackle all three questions one catwalk step at a time. First up was an impassive, rote-like spiel on her newfound love for charity. “I owe it to Mr Nelson Mandela. When he said I could lend my name to meaningful issues, I realised it was a chance to help others less fortunate,” she droned, like a Miss Universe finalist. Campbell first met the former South African president in 1991 in New York through her one-time lover, actor Robert De Niro. Mandela and the supermodel now maintain a close relationship. “He always wants to know how I’m doing. My personal life, my love life, my problems, I just tell him,” she revealed, impassively. “He made me think about important issues like AIDS in Africa, which is still an issue on the back-burner. Kids’ welfare is also important to me because I love children.” When asked whether she would like children of her own, the statuesque model replied matter of factly: “Yes, I do, but I’m not on a time-clock to have them. I’ve faith in higher places about this one.” While her reputation often preceded her, Campbell was on her best behaviour throughout. But she is frustrating to interview – a little distant and unwilling to give too much away. Far from being a hot-headed diva that many reports paint her to be, she behaved instead like a child-woman who has grown up cocooned from reality since she became famous at the age of 15. It is hard to imagine that this nervous coquette is responsible for some of the most fascinating toilet reads ever published. In the late 1990s, Campbell made headlines when she allegedly hit one former assistant with her mobile phone and made another smuggle cocaine on her behalf. Recently, she won a lawsuit against British tabloid, The Mirror, which published pictures of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. She was awarded a derisory £3,500 (RM21,700) in damages, barely enough for her to buy the handle of a Hermes bag. You asked why the media often vilified and pilloried her and she flashed a glare – a subtle warning that a cellphone could be heading your way soon. “I don’t hate the press,” she said, frostily. “They have been good to me. But people have agendas. The press often court me for my trouble ratings, and not my work. I have to watch my reactions,” she added. “I have been in the limelight for 17 years. I made mistakes in public as well. I wish the press would understand and allow me some space,” she sighed. Just when one was about to probe further on this topic, she slammed the shutters again. “You haven’t asked me about Mr Valentino and my perfume,” she said pointedly, reminding gently about the stuff she needed to plug. All right then, what about them? “Now that Yves Saint Laurent has retired, I have a deep respect for Mr Valentino because he’s one of the best couturiers around,” she bleated. Then, just once, the supermodel dropped her guard and broke into a genuine, unguarded smile. “And my new boyfriend, Matteo, works for Valentino,” she said, casting a loving glance in his direction. The general manager of Valentino S.p.A, Matteo Marzotto is part of the family that owns the Italian label worldwide. He is also the most recent addition to a long list of Campbell’s beaus, who include Cirque du Soleil owner Guy Laliberte, Italian industrialist Flavio Briatore and flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes. Again, before you could ask more about her new love, she had moved on. This time, she wanted to talk about her perfume, Mystery, which she said will be launched by Procter & Gamble in Asia in December. “Sales of my scents are doing well and I hope the new one will fare just as well in Asia,” she said in earnest. Then it struck you. She is not just one of the world’s most famous models. She is also in charge of marketing a sensational product – herself. Although some consider her a has-been in the world of modelling, she insisted that she still delivers the goods. “I love what I do. I’ve done this for close to 17 years. People must see something in me. Otherwise, I’d be over and out,” she said. As for her £10,000 (RM62,000) per show fee that she purportedly commands, she states in all seriousness: “I’m worth every cent.” The Diva finally emerges. Born in 1970 to part-time fashion model Valerie Campbell, Naomi Campbell was discovered when she was just 15 while strolling near London’s Covent Garden. Her rise to the top of the pack was rapid. In 1989, she became the first black model to grace the cover of American Vogue. Three years later, the late Gianni Versace sent Campbell, alongside Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, down the catwalk to the sound of INXS and the supermodel phenomenon was born. Besides starring in films like Robert Altman’s Pret-a-Porter in 1994, she also launched her first fragrance, Naomi Campbell, in 2000. The scent is marketed under Procter and Gamble. Along the way, there was also an album in 1995, Babywoman, which was a hit nowhere, and a ghost-written book Swan in 1996, which no one read – apparently not even the supermodel herself, who failed to recall the novel’s plot when asked by British reporters a few months after its publication. Unlike her modelling career, these ventures went nowhere fast, just like Fashion Cafe, the ill-fated chain of theme restaurants she started with fellow models Elle MacPherson, Christy Turlington and Claudia Schiffer in 1993. |
