Naomi Campbell Criticizes Anna Wintour for “Punctuality” Comment in Acceptance Speech
Naomi Campbell didn’t hesitate to take a dig at Anna Wintour, a renowned fashion editor. It appears that Campbell threw shade at the Vogue editor when she was in New York City presenting an award. On Tuesday, September 3, during the Harlem’s Fashion Row Fashion Show & Style Awards, the renowned supermodel, 54, was presented with the Fashion Icon Award.
According to a video posted on X (previously Twitter), Wintour, 74, the Vogue editor-in-chief, said, “I am a very punctual person, and I have the honor of presenting tonight to someone who is often late.”
After that, Wintour turned things over to Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Samira Nasr, who gave Campbell the award. Wintour left the event early to go to the US Open, according to TMZ.
However, Campbell left the audience shocked when she addressed Wintour’s comment about her tardiness in her winning speech. She said, “I want to say this. Everything is meant to work out the way it’s going to work out. It wasn’t my choice to have the other lady. I would much rather have this (gesturing to Nasr).
Less than a day after the incident, the videos of their speeches has already gone viral on social media, with fans going bananas over it. One wrote, “Fashion tea is BACK.” Some others wrote, “After that, Naomi might not attend the next Met Gala.”
Another wrote, “Naomi never takes criticism well, especially when it concerns her time and presence. Her clapback was legendary. She appears to have delivered the final word in style!”
Wintour highlighted a number of Campbell’s outstanding attributes in her speech despite the criticism. The model was described by her as “bold, bright, and entirely, unquestionably herself.”
Wintour also praised her saying Naomi is honestly one of the most fearless people she knows, a quality that was evident at the very, very start of her career when she began to speak the truth about inequality and injustice. And this was at a time when it was not so common to do so.
Later that evening, in an interview, Campbell thanked Wintour for having supported her modeling career from the beginning. Campbell said, “We must still say thank you to Anna Wintour, as she did take the time to come here and give me the award even though I wasn’t here. So thank you, Anna Wintour, for your support in my career from 1987, meeting a young Black girl from South London in British Vogue offices and taking a chance in giving me a shoot.”
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