Class Is in Session With Naomi Campbell

“I’ve been doing this for over three decades, and I’m still loving what I do, and that’s why I felt it’s time to share it,” Naomi Campbell says of her decision to add MasterClass instructor to her long list of accolades. The supermodel turned multihyphenate (actor, ambassador, businesswoman, and mother, just to name a few) has always had an ambitious mindset, approaching every project with her signature mix of determination and passion. Now Campbell wants to share the perspective and expertise that have made her an international star with a new audience by teaching the fundamentals of modeling. While Campbell’s course covers the ins and outs of the industry, like attending casting calls, finding your stride, and learning how to pose, it’s more about building confidence to navigate life’s challenges on and off the runway.

Campbell spoke with Vanity Fair about what she’s learned throughout her career, what inspires her, and what she hopes her legacy will be.

Vanity Fair: How exactly do you teach someone how to be a model like yourself?

Naomi Campbell: It’s not even about teaching how to be a model. It’s just like for me, it’s for anyone that just wants to know how to be for themselves. It’s not really about wanting to be a model. That is what I do, obviously. But I did this not to discriminate against anyone really – it’s for all and everyone. 

When you first started out with modeling, who did you look to and what other models inspired you the most for your career?

I couldn’t afford magazines, so I couldn’t spend all my pocket money on magazines. But for me I was inspired by dance, because dance is what I learned my whole school school life and theater arts is what I studied. So I just kind of incorporated my dance movements into what I thought was model poses. And I think that Steven Meisel has been someone who’s helped to mold me in showing me how to pose and how to be and how to move your body and how to stand. And all of the photographers I’ve worked with in my career at that point have guided, shaped, and molded me. 

I find that you have a level of confidence that is truly like no one else. With this MasterClass, you’re teaching more than just modeling, but how does someone get that confidence to have to be able to apply it to the things that they are doing?

For me, I’ve always said it, whether you have the confidence or not, you just appear to have it.

So fake it til you make it?

Yeah, for real. But you have to go with the correct intention from you of what you’re doing. And I’ve never been about showing off myself. It’s each time and each designer or brand I work for, I try to understand their way of work and their look and essence and try to incorporate that within me and bring that out of me. 

How did this MasterClass come about? Was this something that you always wanted to do?

NC: [Matthew Rutler, Senior VP of Talent and Business Development at MasterClass] and I met many times. We met many, many, many years ago. And when I was in L.A. and we spoke about it when he first started the master class series and you know everything has its timing in life. And so it came together now.

You’ve mentioned that this class is for everyone, and it is not specific to fashion and modeling, what are the key takeaways?

To feel comfortable in [your] own skin. To know that each and everyone has that something special that they have to bring out and enhance and to lean on it. And to find their narrative that explains them and just be them and don’t erase who they are, because that is what makes you, each and all of us an individual.