She was once pictured wearing a hazmat suit and a $3,000 lamb’s wool Burberry scarf at an airport, so Naomi Campbell’s affinity for looking great while remaining germ-free is no secret.
But now her debut collection for the fashion brand Boss features items with an antibacterial finish, a tongue-in-cheek nod to Campbell’s germophobia.
The supermodel has teamed up with the German business on a 40-piece clothing collection, starting from £60 and going up to £745, that spans everything from suiting to sweatpants inspired by Campbell’s “fast-paced lifestyle”.
“These are the kinds of pieces that reflect my own lifestyle,” Campbell said in an exclusive quote to the Guardian. “Always on the move, always ready for the next adventure, but never compromising on style.”
Having worn sheer catsuits from Alaïa and posed in a Valentino couture feathered cape on the steps of the Met Gala as an assistant fanned her, it comes as some surprise that Campbell’s debut collection for Boss is aimed at commuters looking for practical pieces.
In 2019, a video of the British supermodel armed with latex gloves and antibacterial wipes went viral as she cleaned her business class seat on a flight to Dubai. Later during the pandemic, she was photographed walking through an airport in a white hooded hazmat suit and face mask.
While Campbell is more accustomed to a private jets than commercial airlines, it appears she is still familiar with the dreaded travelling curse of creased clothing. As a result, during the design process she stipulated that double-breasted jackets and coordinating trousers were made from stretch-infused wool with an anti-wrinkle finish.
There are also figure-hugging black leggings with matching long-sleeve tops inspired by Campbell’s own travel uniform of compression wear, which she says can help improve circulation. The pockets of blazers and waistcoats have been lined with a special fabric that can block electromagnetic frequencies and prevent contactless card scamming.
Elsewhere, a two-piece loungewear set consists of a funnel-neck hoodie and loose track pants covered in a purple- or ivory-coloured leopard-print motif, which Campbell says has “proven anti-stress properties, promoting a sense of zen and balance”. And just in case you forget who the real “boss” is, T-shirts and hoodies feature a signed print of Campbell’s face.
Appointed in 2022 as an ambassador to Boss, a spin-off brand of Hugo Boss, Campbell has previously fronted several campaigns for the brand. The collection marks a shift into a new co-creator role that Campbell said allowed her to “explore a whole new facet of my art”.
it is not the first time the 53-year-old has stepped into the role of fashion designer. Last year, Campbell was widely criticised for collaborating with the fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing (PLT), a subsidiary of the British company Boohoo Group, on an 82-piece collection.
Campbell’s collection for Boss, whose parent company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, follows previous sold-out partnerships with the NFL and Khaby Lame, a 23-year-old Senegalese-born Italian social media personality who holds the title for amassing the most followers globally on TikTok. It is all part of a wider brand refresh Boss is bidding on, pivoting away from its formal suiting in order to attract a younger consumer.
This year is gearing up to be a significant one for Campbell. In June, the V&A will launch Naomi, an exhibition dedicated to the Croydon-born model. It marks the first time a model will be the focus of an exhibition at the museum.
