Why Naomi Campbell Didn't Attend The Met Costume Institute Gala

Honoring the role of supermodels as fashion muses, the opening of the 2009 Metropolitan Costume Institute Gala last Monday was the night of supermodels so to speak.

But amid the sea of beautiful faces, where was the famous supermodel Naomi Campbell?


The British muse was a no-show at the gala. Was it because Tyra Banks also attended the event?

Not quiet - Azzedine Alaïa was supposedly the reason.

According to reports, the designer was displeased that Anna Wintour only allowed one photograph of his work to be displayed at the exhibition so he asked the supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Stephanie Seymour (who were supposed to wear his designs to the gala) not to attend the event.

Alaïa was quoted as saying, "(Anna Wintour) has too much power over this museum." This was denied by the exhibit curator, Harold Koda, who said that Anna Wintour was not involved in curating the shows - the decision to exclude Alaïa was actually because the designer wanted to have a single designer exhibit, something that was discordant with the Met policy.

A lame excuse or not, Azzedine Alaïa's influence over his muses was great. A spokesperson for Naomi Campbell told the press, "As Naomi has been the muse of Azzedine Alaïa for 23 years, she feels she doesn't want to attend unless she can represent his work."