Design & Style

Catwalk: Finding Your Stride

Lesson time 09:32 min

In this lesson, Naomi breaks down the runway and how she developed her own signature walk. Plus, she gives tips for how to keep going no matter what.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Catwalk: Finding Your Stride * Elements of a Good Catwalk * Runway Review: Balenciaga * Don’t Be Afraid to Fall

Naomi Campbell

Teaches Modeling Fundamentals

Supermodel and cultural icon Naomi Campbell teaches you how to take on modeling—and life—with confidence.

Preview

NAOMI CAMPBELL: When I'm walking on the runway, I don't see the audience. I hear the music. I hear the rhythm. I hear the bass, and I see the lights. I think it's important to have a confident walk when you walk into an event, when you go into a room, when you're going on stage to speak. It's important to get up and make people feel like, okay, she looks like she knows what she's going to say. In this lesson, we're going to cover the fundamentals of catwalk. And I'll share tips and tricks that will change how you move through a space, whether you're walking down a runway, into a boardroom, or across the street. [MUSIC PLAYING] (SINGING) Baby, you make me lose my mind. Baby, you want to stay the night? Time goes by. NAOMI CAMPBELL: When I started modeling, it was called the catwalk. So for me, a runway is where the plane takes off. But obviously, because of the line and everything, they consider it to be a runway. So the runway is where brands show their seasonal shows, and they show them all around the world. It used to start off in London. Now it starts off in America, in New York. So it's New York, London, Milan, Paris, Japan. Plus, now there's many more fashion weeks in the world. So there's constantly a Fashion Week going somewhere in the world, 365 days of the year. Over time, fashion shows and runway walks have evolved from the more intimate settings of arteliers and showrooms, where models twirled and swirled playfully in their outfits, only to become grander, more theatrical, bespoke to the designer behind the creations. My first catwalk experience was in London. I believe it was for Smirnoff. Smirnoff used to have this competition and showcase of young designers in London, and they would do it at the Royal Albert Hall every year. And I got booked to do that show. And it was a lot of fun. And then, after that, I started to do Jasper Conran, John Galliano, Katharine Hamnett, Vivienne Westwood, Rifat Ozbek, like, the royalty of British designers. One of the designers that I can say that was the most, I think, for me, as a model, theme-oriented was John Galliano. John Galliano's shows were not just a show. It was an event. And it's also the same for Alexander McQueen. They were not just a show. They were like events. They became masterpieces. It was a transformation of the whole environment that was around you. And so yes, there, you felt like you got into character. And I always used to be extremely nervous of that show, because you had to be in character. You could not be plain Jane. Otherwise, you just would not work. But John made a point to talk to each model before his shows and let us know the story behind the collection and the piece that we were wearing. He would tell us as the picture he wanted us to bring to life in our movements, so that you didn't just have to walk. You had to step outside of yourself and become a character. We were encouraged to be ourselv...

About the Instructor

Naomi Campbell stumbled into a modeling career, earning icon status both on and off the runway. On MasterClass, she shares the lessons she learned as a model to help you find your confidence and stride in everyday life.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Naomi Campbell

Supermodel and cultural icon Naomi Campbell teaches you how to take on modeling—and life—with confidence.

Explore the Class