Fashion

Why Naomi Campbell Won't Retire From The Runway

by Lauren Turner

We all know that the fashion world has been a place where diversity hasn't necessarily thrived, and it seemed that there was time when we just sort of accepted it. But Naomi Campbell won't retire until the runways are a more diverse stage, and I can't help but love her more. Just like most women worth telling stories about, Campbell has been called crazy many a time, but her latest cause is the farthest thing from crazy and everyone should take notice.

After doing a racially-sparked campaign with director Nick Knight, Campbell got to open up with her long-time friend about her push to make runways more diverse. And after being on the scene since she was just 16 years old, she has a very different perspective on what's going on. "I don't even want to use the word racism," Campbell said. Instead, she describes what she sees in some designers as just being ignorance. "They just don't want to change their ideals, be more open-minded; to just book a beautiful girl, regardless of creed and color."

So Campbell has taken it upon herself, with Iman by her side, to stand up for the younger models of color, so that they don't have to lose out on jobs if they speak their minds. And according to Campbell, with only 6.8% of the models in 2014 being black, there's still a lot of work to do.

Dominique Charriau/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

"It's a conversation that has to be had. It's not calling out names to attack anyone, and we're not blaming anyone. It's not like we're pointing a finger," Campbell said. "What we want to say is, we are not a trend. It shouldn't have to be that way. I didn't work 28 years for it to be a trend." And that's exactly why she won't stop working. "I can't duck out yet because I feel I have to represent and watch my babies, and be there for them."

And even though I'm not a model, knowing that there is someone working for those who can't speak out makes me very happy. The fact that Campbell is standing up for something that everyday women are fighting for already makes the load a little lighter. She couldn't be more right: in today's society, seeing color before talent is simply ignorant. Because let's be honest, there's no way Jourdan Dunn doesn't have that "it" factor.