Supermodel Naomi Campbell today said she loves coming to India as she feels the country is home to many strong women, who contribute a lot in the quest for gender equality.
The 47-year-old fashionista, who was in the capital for the HT Leadership Summit, said, "I love it here. There are many strong women here."
"I plan to come back to India next year and the year after. I would like to do a masterclass with young girls, not just for those who want to be models but to boost confidence. I would want to share the knowledge that I have learned and would like to pass it on," she added.
Spent less than 24 hours in India, but india is a lifetime of of delight... waiting to be back. @suhelseth @LiberatumGlobal #leadershipsummit pic.twitter.com/jvMXBhB67x
— Naomi Campbell (@NaomiCampbell) December 1, 2017
Campbell also recalled choosing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the winner of Miss World contest saying she was the most "stunning" of the lot in 1994.
The actor-model said as a woman of colour her aim has always been to encourage diversity in showbiz as well as various other fields.
"When I started in 1986, there were runway and magazine models. My group of girls, we became the bridge of mixing the two and were thus called 'supermodels'. It's important as a woman of colour, to represent: Campbell talks about diversity in the industry," she added.
Campbell said her mother is the biggest source of "physical and mental strength" for her.
"My life with her was minimal. Since she was a ballerina, I was raised by a nanny. My mother sacrificed a lot for me," she said.
Saris and strong women aren't the only things Campbell loves about India. Self-proclaimed "late bloomer" in yoga, the supermodel came to Kerala in 2012 to learn the form. "When I was doing yoga in England, it wasn't clicking. I couldn't understand the mind, body and spirit part. I shut my phone and went to Kerala," she said.
Taking the opportunity to bust some myths about runway models, Campbell said, "It's a myth that models are air heads or models shouldn't speak. Everyone has a personality and your career extends if you have your own personality."
Taking a subtle dig at the fresher crop of supermodels posting personal pictures on social media sites, Campbell said, "I use my social platforms to stand up for causes I believe in, to support people. I don't try to show personal things. The current generation may be the Instagram girls, but my girls and I have enough pictures we could put up every day for the next 35 years."
Campbell was in conversation with one of India's first supermodels Milind Soman.
(With PTI Inputs)
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