"My Gratitude Is Beyond Words": Naomi Campbell On Bringing Fashion For Relief Home To London

Since she founded Fashion For Relief 14 years ago, Naomi Campbell has brought her charity gala to all four corners of the globe – raising millions of pounds for disaster relief and humanitarian crises along the way. Now, after taking her event – and the constellation of stars it inevitably attracts – to Dar es Salaam, Moscow, Mumbai and more, the supermodel is bringing it home, to her native London, for 2019.

“I’m so happy to bring it back home to where I was born,” Campbell told British Vogue over the phone from China, ahead of Saturday night's gala dinner and auction. “There is nothing better.” None of it would be possible without the efforts of her friends and supporters in the industry, the supermodel says. Which, when you’re Naomi Campbell, comes in the shape of a Marina Abramović sketch, created especially for the event by the artist, or a stunning, signed Ellen Von Unwerth shot of Campbell from 1990, donated from the photographer's personal collection to be auctioned off on the night.

"I'm so thrilled to have the support of the British Fashion Council, British Vogue, Edward [Enninful]... and everyone who has given their time," Campbell said. "Without everyone's collaboration it just wouldn't happen, it happens because we all come together. That's what I love about it, we [the fashion industry] are always getting slammed – but we know how to show up when we need to. My gratitude is just beyond words."

This year, Fashion For Relief is joining forces with the Mayor's Fund for London and UNICEF as its charity partners, meaning the event, which is sponsored by Chrome Hearts and Gucci, will raise vital funds for disadvantaged children in London and further afield, too. "I'm delighted that Naomi and Fashion For Relief have chosen to support the Mayor's Fund for London," the London Mayor Sadiq Khan said ahead of this year's event, which is being staged at the British Museum. "We share the belief that all young people, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential."

Did Campbell imagine, when she staged her first Fashion For Relief back in 2005, that it would still be running – and be such an established force for good – some 14 years later? "I never put expectations on anything," she says. "I didn't even think I'd still be modelling now! You never know how something is going to work out." True. But given that the guest list in years past has included everyone from Beyoncé to Queen Rania of Jordan, it's safe to say what started as the germ of an idea for the supermodel has gone on to become one of the most anticipated nights on the industry calendar.

Coming as it does in the eye of the London Fashion Week storm – when diaries are bursting with events, shows, previews and parties – the stars preparing to sweep along Saturday night's red carpet (Billy Porter and Naomie Harris among them), is further proof of the same. "I'm just looking forward to coming home and being with everyone," Campbell said. "What makes it so special is that everyone is there because they want to be, not because they have to be."