The Essential: Naomi Campbell

One of a five-part series for BBC2 that examines what it took for five of the most successful black popular icons to make it in their chosen fields. The films document how these trailblazers not only raised the bar, but inspired generations and reinvented the definition of success for us all.

The film charts how Naomi Campbell conquered the ‘uber’ white world of fashion and modelling and became the first black model to appear on the front cover of British Vogue magazine. We hear how she came to dominate the international fashion catwalks and how her uncompromising dark skin and strong features inspired young black women to believe that beauty is about more than blonde hair and fair skin.