Naomi Campbell’s Runway Walk Tips

Born in England in 1970, Naomi Elaine Campbell is one of the world’s most recognizable high fashion supermodels, having worked in the modeling industry since the age of 15. In addition to modeling, she’s also worked as an actress, singer, and entrepreneur.

As a top model, Naomi has graced the covers of major fashion magazines and appeared in advertising campaigns for haute couture legends like Fendi, Isaac Mizrahi, Louis Vuitton, Thierry Mugler, Ralph Lauren, and more. She has walked the runway for New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week, representing designers such as Versace, Chanel, and Givenchy.

Performed with confidence, ease, and a unique style particular to the individual model, a runway walk is the unique strut of a model on a fashion show runway or catwalk. Perfecting a model’s runway walk in front of an audience takes more effort and focus than meets the eye, and many elite models require training. The best runway walks highlight the fashion designer’s couture in a way that shows how the clothing fits the catwalk model’s body in motion.

As an aspiring runway model, taking the time to discover and develop a runway ramp walk that makes you feel confident will help you book modeling work. Follow these steps to create your iconic runway walk:

1. 1. Familiarize yourself with the outfits. Your runway collection outfits will dictate how much movement you can achieve. Examine the clothing you’ll wear beforehand to understand its fluidity and weight. Practice walking in the outfits and shoes (especially if you’ll be wearing heels) backstage to see where your ensemble limits or allows movement.
2. 2. Keep your posture. Keep your shoulders back and head straight, with your eyes level at all times. Initially, you may feel stiff, but with practice, you’ll learn to walk with a tall, straight posture and eyes forward in a relaxed, confident manner.
3. 3. Set your facial expression and gaze. Fashion show choreographers may give you direction in terms of the mood they would like you to express during the show, but overall your face should express control, relaxation, and confidence. Look ahead by picking a spot at the back of the room at eye level to watch and concentrate on as you walk, keeping your chin slightly down.
4. 4. Let the music be your guide. Correct pacing on the catwalk helps the entire show flow well. Set your walking pace to the beat of the music playing. If the music doesn’t match a rhythmic walking speed, use the speed of the models before you as a guide, making sure to keep enough distance between you and them.
5. 5. Take long strides with feet in line. Place each foot directly in front of the other, with toes forward. This type of walking requires practice, and you may find your ankles knock together initially. Keep your strides long, lift your knees slightly higher than usual, and keep the pace consistent.
6. 6. Avoid swinging your hips. You may feel like you need to swing your hips as you walk. When walking with long strides and good posture, your hips will naturally swing at an appropriate level.
7. 7. Let your arms swing naturally. Allow your arms to move naturally, with a slight swing, without overemphasis. Avoid moving your arms to the music or making distracting movements.
8. 8. Plan where you will stop and pivot. During your model walk, avoid guessing at the last minute where you’ll stop and turn at the runway’s end. Slow down as you approach the spot to keep the flow smooth, then stop, pose for two or three seconds, and smoothly pivot your body, letting your head be the last part to move.
9. 9. Keep the return energy up. As you return to the start of the catwalk, keep your energy up. You may feel a sense of relief that you’ve completed the initial walk and turn, causing you to relax too much or speed up. Place as much importance on the return walk as the outgoing walk, and keep your pace consistent.
10. 10. Practice at home. The more you practice your runway walk, the more confident you’ll be when you have a modeling job. You can find full videos of runway models online for inspiration as you work on your style.

Naomi’s years of experience on the catwalk have made her an expert in how to walk on the runway under intense pressure with beauty, strength, and self-confidence. Consider these tips from Naomi as you develop your unique model walk:

1. 1. Be confident, no matter what. If you must choose one thing to focus on, Naomi advises, make it confidence. “You have to mean every step that you take. You have to mean it,” she says. “You can’t do it in a timid way. You cannot do it in an ‘I’m not sure’ way. You have to take the step and mean it. Even if it’s wrong—but there’s no wrong or right anyway. You have to do it with conviction.”
2. 2. Don’t worry about the audience. When Naomi walks the runway, she keeps the focus on herself. “When I’m walking on the runway, what I can tell you is, I don’t see the audience,” she says. “I really don’t. I hear the music. I hear the rhythm. I hear the bass. And I see the light. And that’s it.”
3. 3. Make the clothes the star. Naomi believes your walk should revolve around the clothes you wear, not you. “Let the clothes inform your walk. I truly am a believer that it’s not about showing off yourself; it’s about showing the clothes.” She advises finding a connection with the outfit, whether you personally like it or not. “You have to vibe with that outfit, and you have to make sure that you’re wearing the outfit, the outfit’s not wearing you, and feel comfortable in it, even though you might have only gotten acquainted with it for just that day.”
4. 4. Take long strides and slow down. Naomi encourages long strides and watching your speed when walking the runway. “It’s important to take long strides because long strides make you look like you’re confident,” she says. “When you just walk too quickly... What’s the difference [between your runway walk and] walking down the street?” She advises acting as if your walk has a destination. “It’s like you’re building up to something,” she adds. “That’s how it should be. You’re walking towards something.”
5. 5. Practice makes perfect. More than anything, Naomi suggests practicing as much as you can to become the best model you can be. “I encourage you to practice walking to a song that makes you feel energized whenever you hear it,” she says. “Record yourself, make adjustments, and remember that at the end of the day, you want to enter a room with a stride and presence that reflects who you are.”

Discovered at the age of fifteen, Naomi Campbell—then an aspiring dancer—had a lot to learn about modeling. Through her adaptability, improvisation skills, and love of movement, Naomi has successfully navigated the fashion industry for decades—all while staying true to herself. With the MasterClass Annual Membership, discover one of the original supermodel’s tips for how to pose, perfect your runway walk, build confidence, and deal with adversity.