There’s certain eras in fashion history that should be documented in the halls of a museum. Alexander McQueen’s short-lived tenure as the creative director of Givenchy for exaple. On Saturday evening in London, one of the late designer’s favorie muses, Naomi Campbell, did just that. No placards needed.
Campbell stepped out to the inaugural British Museum Ball in a jaw-dropping gown from McQueen’s fall 2000 couture show for Givenchy. Aptly designed with the colors of the United Kingdom’s flag, the archival piece featured an asymmetric neckline, a fitted bodice, and a long, dramatic train. It’s designed in a lace fabric, creating a slight sheer effect throughout. Campbell accessorized with dark blue eye makeup, pin-straight hair, and minimal diamond jewels.
The dress first debuted during Paris Fashion Week in July 2000. That season, McQueen designed a collection full of metallics, skin-hugging silhouettes, and odes to Y2K aesthetics—a stark departure from the minimal, refined style of house founder, Hubert de Givenchy. It was McQueen’s second to last couture offering for the brand, which he designed for from 1996 to 2001.
Campbell’s choice of dress was not only fitting given the ball’s location, but also considering her place in McQueen history.
The model walked the late designer’s runway several times—both for Givenchy and his eponymous line—throughout her career in the late 1990s and early 2000s and was considered one of his foremost muses. (The pair famously had a dust-up in 1997 after Campbell was late for a show, but mended things following that incident). In 2023, Campbell closed the final show of McQueen’s right hand woman and successor, Sarah Burton.
In the years since McQueen’s passing in 2010, Campbell has gravitated towards the designer’s in more ways than one. On the red carpet, she’s worn her fair share of McQueen-era Givenchy and pieces from the designer’s namesake label. And in 2024, she let the public in on her sprawling collection with a Victoria & Albert Museum titled Naomi: In Fashion which featured ultra-rare pieces from the designer’s history-making career.
And after what were likely years in storage, seeing Campbell bring this legendary dress back was a moment worth the wait.
