N A O M I | Collectors Edition

 

NAOMI, Collectors Edition - Autobiography Monograph

yes, that is young Naomi being tucked in by the legend Bob Marley 

On the contrary, while the photos in this massive tome are impressive, its Naomi's ability to recall times, places, people, and memories so distinctly and detailed that truly drew me in. She remembers who styled her on each shoot, who her makeup artist was, the jokes told behind the scenes, the style and moods of the photographers,  the frustrations, the tender moments, and the impact these all had on her. As a writer and story teller  the premise of legacy is something that has been on my mind for some time. Is your legacy the stories others tell about you, the ones you tell about yourself, or the culmination of both with the tangible fruits of your labors to show for it? In too many deep questions for this five minute read, I can be honest and say I'm still sitting with it. 

I sat with this book and watched before my eyes Naomi's legacy play out in photos. She's more than a beauty, she's an artist. Her writing utensils- her mile long legs scripting run on sentences in the pages of history as she broke both boundaries and glass ceilings. Her paintbrush the one she used to perfect her own makeup often times at her earliest shoots before she and the fairy God-mother Pat McGrath made Black girl magic together. Her canvas, well- she was the canvas, becoming the completed work for artist and designers alike. A natural born dancer fluttering and flowing with ease of a Jamaican breeze across sets, runways, and the hearts of Black women around the world who yearned to see themselves reflected as the standard of beauty. 

A muse to many including her beloved Azzedine Alaia. She stood on her own two while both continuing the legacy left for her by icons such as Iman, Pat Cleaveland, Bethann Hardison, and Naomi Sims; while trailblazing a path for the Chanel Imans', and Joan Smalls' of the future to follow. She made space for brown, tall, and slender girls like myself to feel beautiful. She's fierce, has a reputation for being a wild card, yet is beloved by world leaders, activist, and  can go toe to toe with your favorite Mike- that's Tyson or Jackson.  Tuh, why am I telling it, it's already been written.