There are few faces more synonymous with the British fashion industry and its enduring legacy than supermodel Naomi Campbell's.
The 49-year-old model with a body, as Bono once said, 'handmade by God,' has transcended sartorial walls and cemented herself as a hallmark of UK fashion since she burst onto the fashion scene in 1986.
It was then, aged fifteen, that she was scouted by model scout Beth Boldt while she was roaming around Covent Garden.
Speaking to The Guardian, Campbell said: "A woman (Beth Boldt) came up to me and asked if I'd ever thought of modelling. My mum wanted me to stay on at school and finish my exams. But I wanted things my way, so a few weeks later I went to see Beth on my own. On my first visit, she parted my hair in the middle, did my makeup and took me up on the roof in my school uniform to take a few black-and-white pictures. Eventually, Mum decided I could model, so long as it didn't interfere with my school work or exams."
A short few years later, in January 1990, Campbell was named "the reigning megamodel of them all" by Andy Warhol's Interview magazine
Campbell is of Chinese-Jamaican heritage and was raised by her grandmother and aunts in south London, while her mother toured Europe as a professional dancer.
She rapidly ascended the fashion ranks to become one of The Big Five supermodels of the 90's - going on to cover over 500 magazines (most notably the first black model to appear on American, British and French Vogue, as well as Time Magazine.)
Her millennial relevance was highlighted by her good friend British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful's appointing her to the position of Contributing Editor, where she's been able to flex her muscles to champion diversity at the title, an issue close to her heart.
Speaking to The Guardian more recently, Campbell said: "People of colour are in a very interesting position right now. We’re more than just in vogue. We are the culture."
When she burst on to the fashion scene, her style was intrinsically youthful: skirts were short, tops were cropped even shorter, and heels were the polar opposite: as teetering as they come.
But in recent years - as she approaches 50, without looking a day over 20 - her look has matured with her. She rotates between designs by Alexander McQueen - whom she classed as a good friend - and her friend Azzedine Alaïa - whom she referred to as Papa.
Scroll through the gallery above for pictures of Naomi Campbell over the years.
