British supermodel NAOMI CAMPBELL has paid tribute to late designer YVES SAINT LAURENT praising his role in promoting black models in the fashion world.
Saint Laurent died from a brain tumour at his home in Paris, France on Sunday (01Jun08).
The fashion legend was the first designer to use black models the catwalk - and launched Campbell's career in the 1990s
In a tearful tribute, Campbell said Saint Laurent had "done so much for people of colour".
She says, "My first Vogue cover ever was because of this man. Because when I said to him 'Yves, they won't give me a French Vogue cover, they won't put a black girl on the cover' and he was like 'I'll take care of that,' and he did.
"He was the king of fashion. He created pret-a-porter, he was the first designer to put women of colour on the runway, he was extremely important in my career, giving me one of my first jobs."
Last week (ends30May08), Campbell signed a comeback deal to front the company's autumn/winter 2008 campaign.
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