Naomi Campbell Blasts ‘Vogue’ Editor Who Suggested Black Models Don’t Sell Covers

Naomi Campbell is speaking out after a Guardian interview with Alexandra Shulman, a former editor-in-chief of Vogue U.K., went viral. In the interview, Shulman, who has been accused of racism, suggested that black cover models don’t sell issues, which is why, in her 25 years at the magazine, she only put 12 black models and celebrities on its cover. “My chief remit was not to show ethnic diversity as a policy,” Shulman said. “You would sell fewer copies. It’s as simple as that.”

Shulman’s comments sparked a heated conversation about the need for racial diversity in fashion, and on Wednesday, Campbell chimed in too. The 47-year-old supermodel—who appeared on the cover of Vogue U.K. a mere five times in her 30-plus-year reign in the modeling industry—hit back at Shulman by posting an opinion piece by The Guardian on social media breaking down why Shulman’s comments are not only problematic, but discredited.

The piece was titled, “Don’t tell me black cover models don’t sell.” In her posts, Campbell accompanied her link with a slew of empowering hashtags, including “#Change” and “#NewVogue.”

MORE: ‘Grazia UK’ Apologizes for Photoshopping Lupita Nyong’o’s Natural Hair

Source: Instagram

Campbell’s social media posts could also be a response to Shulman’s comments about her in her Guardian interview. In the interview, Shulman compared Campbell’s demands for diversity to “aggression” after a previous interview with Campbell was brought up, in which the model accused the editor of “racial abuse” for seemingly shading her her successor, Edward Enninful, who is black. “I’m not going to get into the thing. If [Campbell] wants to feel that aggression, who am I to stop it, you know?” Shulman said.

Campbell isn’t the only black model to speak out on Shulman’s remarks. In the comments section of Campbell’s Instagram post, Jourdan Dunn—who, in 2015, was the first black model to appear on Vogue U.K. in 12 years—cheered on Campbell for speaking her truth. “TALK DA TINGZ!!!!!!!!” she commented.

MORE: Jourdan Dunn is the First Black Model to Cover British Vogue in 12 Years

Other than retweeting a couple supporters, who asked the same eye-rolling question on whether becoming more politically correct was “good for society,” Shulman has remained silent on the criticism. And, judging from where her comments landed her, it might be better that way.