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Naomi Campbell claims she had photo rejected because of ‘skin colour’

The model said she suffered from prejudice in an Asian country.
The model said she suffered from prejudice in an Asian country. The model said she suffered from prejudice in an Asian country.

Naomi Campbell has claimed a photo of her was rejected because of her “skin colour”.

The British supermodel said she was told a picture of her would not be used for a campaign in an Asian country.

Campbell said that the country in question “has to be shown” a different approach to race, but did not name either the nation or the campaign in question.

The model spoke to the BBC about her experiences, and said she was shocked at the decision because of her Asian “gene”.

She said: “Something happened to me the other day and I was quite taken aback.

“I did a campaign for someone and I was told one of the countries in Asia won’t use the picture because of the colour of my skin.

“It doesn’t stop me. That’s just another country that has to be shown that it is ignorant and that is not the way of the world right now on the global scale.

“I’m not trying to convince. I’m just trying to be me and do what I do.”

She added on her own heritage: “Ironically I have that gene in my family.”

Campbell has been championing the work of African fashion designers, and believes the industry has no place for intolerance.

She said: “African designers deserve the right to be championed just like every others designer around the world .

“That’s what’s the wonderful thing about the world of fashion. It doesn’t discriminate, it shouldn’t.”

Campbell spoke to the BBC in Lagos, Nigeria, for Arise Fashion week.