Fashion industry more racist - Campbell

Supermodel Naomi Campbell says the fashion industry is more racist than ever.

Campbell hit out at the lack of black faces on magazine covers and catwalks.

She told 'The London Paper': “Women of colour are not a trend. That’s the bottom line. It’s a pity that people don’t always appreciate black beauty.

“In some instances, black models are being sidelined by major modelling agencies.

“Fashion needs to go back to the way it used to be when wonderful designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace and Azzedine Alaia just had a great line-up of beautiful women – white, black, Chinese, Hispanic.”

Campbell, 37, admitted that her supermodel pals helped her career by taking a stand against racism.

“Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington would go to big designers and say, ’If you don’t pick Naomi to be in your show, then I don’t want to be in it’,” she recalled.

“The only reason I got the cover of French 'Vogue' was because Yves Saint Laurent called up and told them he’d pull his ads if they didn’t.”

The Streatham-born star spoke out after her former boss admitted racism was still rife in the industry.

Carole White, head of the Premier model agency and who represented Campbell for 17 years, said yesterday: “A black girl has to be perfect to get work. The bookers are told, ’Don’t send any ethnic girls’.

“I showed a picture of a new black girl to an agent in Milan, and he actually recoiled. He said, ’We don’t have black girls in Milan. It’s impossible.’

“Black models never make money. Even Naomi Campbell didn’t make money like the white girls did, she was always offered less.”