The inaugural episode of Campbell’s new YouTube series No Filter saw the OG supers reunited for a quarantine catch-up – this is what we learned
The conversation surrounding productivity has been a lively one throughout self-isolation. While some have argued that now is the time to get creative, because “Shakespeare wrote King Lear in quarantine, so why can’t you make a start on that novel?” (cursed tweet), others are of the opinion that, now more than ever, it is time to slow down, relax, and basically just survive. No surprise, then, that half of our Instagram feeds are full of existential crisis-captioned selfies while on the other half people are posting something akin to their magnum opus.
One person who falls into the former, and is using this time of quarantine to create a whole bunch of content is Naomi Campbell, who launched her new YouTube series, No Filter, yesterday. Sitting down with fellow super Cindy Crawford via a live stream, the two models spoke about everything from being part of the ‘golden era’ of supermodels and working with famed fashion photographers, to how they are coping in isolation.
Reminiscing over the times they met Princess Diana – “did she open the door for you Cindy?” Naomi asks, to filming George Michael’s iconic “Freedom! ‘90” video, there were plenty of takeaways from the inaugural episode of Campbell’s talk show, so let’s break down what we learned.
SUPERMODELS DECORATE THEIR HOUSES WITH PICTURES OF THEMSELVES
Before we got into the chat, what first hit us was Campbell and Crawford’s homes, which are both decorated with countless pictures of themselves. And who can blame them? When you have work by the likes of Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, and Herb Ritts lying around, we would probably stick them up as well. Towards the end of the video, Crawford even gives us a guided tour of some of her most prized pictures.
CINDY AND NAOMI HAVE EMBRACED THEIR BEAUTY IMPERFECTIONS AND WANT YOU TO DO THE SAME
...lol. Crawford revealed she had her beauty mark edited out when she shot the cover of British Vogue in 1987. What has now become her signature feature, the supermodel explained that as a kid she “hated having a beauty mark” and was told to remove it when she went to her first modelling agency. Campbell also said that she was told to have a scar on her face lasered off when she went to a modelling agency in New York. They both agreed that these ‘imperfections’ are what makes you who you are and they should be embraced. Very empowering indeed.
CINDY CRAWFORD KNEW ABOUT PERSONAL BRANDING BEFORE IT BECAME A MILLENNIAL BUZZ PHRASE
A haunting neoliberal phrase, sure, but it was ‘personal branding’ which led Crawford to pursue other roles outside of modelling. “You become a brand in a weird way,” Crawford explains. And through utilising this, the supermodel ended up starring in the once infamous Pepsi commercial and taking on a hosting job for MTV’s fashion show House of Style. A truly iconic moment in television history.
NAOMI CAMPBELL WENT STRAIGHT FROM A MUGLER SHOW TO FILMING GEORGE MICHAEL’S “FREEDOM! ‘90” VIDEO
This story really does confirm what we think the world of 90s fashion must have been like – jet setting, going from one show to the next on no sleep, and rubbing shoulders with absolute icons. Going behind the scenes of George Michael’s video for “Freedom! ‘90”, which starred not only Campbell and Crawford but Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Tatjana Patitz, Campbell explains she went straight from a Mugler show in Paris to filming the video in London. “I was so tired I didn’t get one bit of sleep,” Campbell explains. She also jokes that Goerge Michael did not make that day of filming becasue he was at the Mugler show also.
CINDY CRAWFORD SHARED HER TOP MODELLING TIPS
As her daughter, Kaia Gerber, is now one of this generation’s most sought after models, Crawford revealed the tips she shared with her when she began a modelling career. And if you are wanting to get into the business yourself, here’s how: Always be on time, never go on your phone, make sure you connect with everyone working (especially the catering staff, very important apparently), and always research the photographers you are going to work with. Noted.
Watch the full conversation below.