Real Love: Naomi Campbell and Adut Akech on Their Indelible Bond

Though they are a generation apart in their fashion-world experience, Naomi Campbell and Adut Akech have no trouble finding common ground. The supermodel and rising runway star became fast friends after meeting on a group photo shoot in 2017, quickly forging a shared sisterhood. Shot by photographer Tyler Mitchell, these pictures mark the first shoot they have done together since.

“She’s part of what I like to call my fashion family,” says Akech of her friend and mentor. And while the narrative in fashion hasn’t historically tended toward people lifting each other up, their easy kinship offers a kinder way forward.

Adut on Naomi

“If you would have told my eight-year-old self that I would one day become friends with Naomi Campbell—that she would be like a mom figure to me—I would be like, That’s a cute dream. As a child, I remember breaking my mom’s no-poster rule and putting pictures of her on my bedroom wall. In those images of Naomi, I could see myself; for the first time I was like, Maybe this could be me one day. So meeting her in person was kind of crazy, but I was trying to keep it professional and not act like that girl.

Now I feel very fortunate to be able to say that I know her—and to see a side of her that a lot of people don’t have access to. If you know Naomi, then you know she has the biggest heart. She’s very giving, very genuine, and very loyal. Shortly after meeting her, when I told her I was moving to New York, she insisted I call her the moment I arrived. And that September, I did. Spending time with her at her apartment, ordering food, watching TV, and just hanging out…to have, like, a family in my workspace—it’s all I could ask for, especially because this industry isn’t always the easiest. It’s rare to find genuinely good people who love you for who you are. But once you do, you hold on to them.”

Naomi on Adut

“I could see right away that Adut had a good head on her shoulders. She’s an incredibly mature young woman who cares deeply about her family. I remember her sitting at my kitchen table in Manhattan when she first came to New York. I had made us something to eat, and she said, ‘I want to make enough money to buy my mother a house.’ I told her: You absolutely will. It’s nice to see when people blossom and their careers go well. There are so many young girls on the African continent and across the globe who look up to her. I feel like she’s helped to change the narrative with what she’s achieved in a big way.

It’s quite lonely, what we do: traveling the world, going from plane to plane, from hotel room to hotel room. I’ve been through it myself. So I know what it means to have people who are there for you, people you know you can trust. I was fortunate enough to have a circle of women I could rely on from the beginning, and those friendships have lasted for over 30 years. I’m just passing it on—this idea of being together, embracing one another, supporting each other. Whether it’s fashion or some other path she chooses to explore, I can’t wait to see where Adut goes next. She’s got the world in her hands.” 

In this story: hair, Jawara; makeup, Daniel Sallstrom.