Naomi Campbell Denied Entry to a Hotel in France
Photo credit: Naomi Campbell
One of the world’s first Supermodels, Naomi Campbell, was denied entry to a hotel in the South of France.“They did not want to let us come in, my friend and me, because of the color of my skin,” Campbell told Paris Match.
“The guy at the entrance pretended that the place was full but he let other people pass,” she continued. “It is for these kind of shocking moments that I will continue to express myself and make myself heard."
This is not the first time the model has faced blatant racism.
The model, who has been in the fashion industry for 33 years, told Vogue in April, “I’m the face of a new campaign and I was told that because of the color of my skin a certain country would not use my picture.” She continued, “For me it was a reality check. I never believe in the hype, so it just kept things in perspective for me. Now I would like to know that models [of colour] get the same opportunities and fees in advertising.”
The precise location of the incident in France is unclear. Recently, Campbell attended the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, an annual event for people in advertising and marketing.
The supermodel also went to one of the festival’s hottest events: an exclusive dinner hosted by Carbonne and American Express. The supermodel, who was staying on a friend’s yacht, according to the New York Post, announced her arrival in the South of France decked out in Alexander McQueen.
As one of the world’s first supermodels, Campbell has seen her fair share of discrimination, including via French fashion staples. In 1988, it took Yves Saint Laurent, reportedly threatening to pull his advertisements from French Vogue for allegedly barring black models from its covers, to change the fashion staple.
In 2017, Campbell said of racism, according to Dazed: “People say, You’ve gone through racism. I wouldn’t say I’ve gone through racism. I would never accept it. And I would rise to the challenge to prove it and find another way to get around it and get what I wanted.”