"I mean, look, I'm controversial," she says matter-of-factly. "If people want to work with me, then they want to work with me. If they don't, they don't."
And believe it or not, in the early days of her career, they didn't. But Campbell credits her fellow 90s supermodels Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista with opening doors for her in the fashion world.
"Honestly, for me it was a blessing to have a friend like Christy. I was so indebted to her for so many things," she says.
"You know, when I was younger there were certain designers who hadn't used models of colour in their shows, and Christy and Linda said to them, 'If you don't take Naomi, then you don't get us.' My friends and comrades stuck up for me - and that doesn't happen in fashion. I will never forget that.
"I don't forget what people do. No matter how many years go by, I always remember."