Naomi Campbell, one of the world’s oldest working models turns 50 this year.
She credits Nelson Mandela for inspiring the humanitarian in her.
Her goal as an icon in the modelling industry is to make the industry more diverse and open it up to equal pay for all.
In an interview with CNN’s Hala Gorani the supermodel, who has been in the industry for 34 years, speaks about how age means nothing to her.
“I don’t think about (it). I don’t feel it. I do what I have to do.
The opportunities that I get, I mean, after being in this business for 34 years, it’s still always so surprising to me and I’m always thrilled. I love the challenge, and I still have the drive. So, I don’t think about age.”
She also mentioned that part of staying relevant still is that she doesn’t share personal details of her life with the media or on social media.
What is important to her now is to promote diverse models. She said being Black and on the cover of Vogue is still a Big deal.
“I’m looking now at (models getting the) same payment for doing the same work. I do feel that it’s obvious that’s going to come up next. And that should be equal.”
Charity work has also become a big focus. She mentioned how the late former president Nelson Mandela, whom she called a “grandfather figure,” inspired her humanitarian commitments. She said she now knows “what he meant” when he talked about helping others.
She is promoting an upcoming event next month in Qatar, which will benefit Fashion For Relief, an organization she founded in 2005 to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.
Fashion For Relief puts on charity catwalk shows and high-profile auctions to raise funds for various causes and humanitarian efforts – such as for those impacted by 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Lately the foundation’s focus has shifted towards raising money for education programs in Africa.
Source: CNN
By Staff Reporter
