NAOMI'S IMPACT ON FASHION

Really? When the Victoria & Albert Museum announced that an exhibit was going to be devoted to Naomi Campbell, the British supermodel from the '90s who has the longest-running career that spans 40 years and counting, not a few eyebrows were raised about the tribute given to a fashion model in the venerable institution that normally features artists, designers and photographers.

But Naomi is not just any model, and the fact that the whole world knows her just by her first name is proof that she has made a significant cultural impact. Hence, the title of the exhibit sees no need to include her last name: "Naomi: In Fashion." Her extraordinary career intersects with the best of high fashion. "She is recognized worldwide as a supermodel, activist, philanthropist, and creative collaborator, making her one of the most prolific and influential figures in contemporary culture," says V&A curator Sonnet Stanfill.

It's also about time that due credit was given to models for their skill and contribution to the fashion industry. Traditionally, models were considered mere instruments in displaying clothes. They were even called "mannequins," replacing the articulated wooden ones that originated from the 18th-century Dutch manikin used by artists. Even up to 1925, a New York Times headline, "Berlin Society Girls Work as Mannequins" used the term for live models in a fashion salon.