The British Museum’s inaugural Pink Ball took place this week, drawing London’s fashion and cultural circles into the Great Court for a night of glamour, fundraising and spectacle. Amid the couture, the champagne and the tightly edited guest list, Naomi Campbell provided the evening’s defining image the moment she stepped in.

Naomi Campbell – Instagram

She wore an archival Alexander McQueen gown from his 2000 Givenchy collection. It was the Union Jack piece, cut close to the body with a lace overlay and a train that moved with the sort of precision only McQueen engineered. The styling was stripped back to let the construction speak: straight hair, strong eye makeup and almost no jewellery. The result was poised, assured and firmly in control.

The timing and setting amplified the impact. With tables priced from £2,000 and an audience drawn from fashion, philanthropy and the arts, the Pink Ball signalled the museum’s intention to sit firmly on the social calendar. Within that context, Campbell’s choice felt exacting rather than nostalgic. A British couture piece worn by a British fashion figurehead inside a national institution seeking to connect with a new generation of patrons carried a certain clarity of thought.

Naomi Campbell – Instagram

Her decision to return to a McQueen archive look carried weight. Campbell’s history with the late designer is well documented. She has embodied his work on the runway and off, and understands the language of his clothesfar beyond surface aesthetics. Wearing this particular gown at an event designed to establish its own legacy felt intentional. It served as a reminder that fashion history is not static and that some garments retain their authority decades after their debut.

Naomi Campbell – Instagram

In an era of endless custom gowns and one-night-only red carpet commissions, choosing an archive piece has become a marker of discernment. It suggests an understanding that provenance matters, that clothes can hold cultural memory and that some of the strongest fashion statements are those that have already proved themselves. At the Pink Ball, Campbell illustrated that an archival gown can feel more current than pieces arriving fresh from the atelier.

As the evening unfolded and guests circulated beneath the museum’s glass canopy, it soon became clear which look would endure beyond the event itself. Campbell’s appearance in McQueen did not rely on provocation or nostalgia. It was a precise alignment of designer, wearer and occasion. For a night that aimed to make an impression on London’s cultural calendar, she delivered an image set to remain in circulation long after the last flashbulb faded: elegant, considered and rooted in fashion history.

At Roger Vivier’s Maison Vivier celebration in Paris, Naomi Campbell brought quiet authority to a night that balanced heritage and modern energy. The restored townhouse in Saint-Germain-des-Prés gathered a considered mix of long-time friends and new creative voices, and her outfit left a lasting impression for all the right reasons.

Naomi Campbell – Instagram

Her look was unapologetically bold: an orange skirt suit cut with sharp structure, the cropped jacket fitted close to the body, the skirt falling just above the knee. Instead of defaulting to safe neutrals, Campbell chose saturated colour, sharp, modern, and hard to ignore without ever feeling loud. A red Roger Vivier clutch added a deliberate contrast that felt instinctively right.

She kept it simple, just a few gold accents and straight, centre-parted hair to keep the focus on the tailoring. The look felt deliberate and self-assured.

Naomi Campbell – Instagram

Inside the Saint-Germain townhouse, guests moved through displays of Vivier’s archives: sketches, couture shoes, and accessories tracing the maison’s legacy. When Campbell arrived, the mood shifted. Her outfit didn’t reference the past; it reinterpreted it, translating Vivier’s craftsmanship into something unmistakably current.

Naomi Campbell proved once again that presence can be as striking as the clothes themselves. There was no overstatement, no effort to impress, just strong design worn with ease and conviction.

Rita Ora has returned to high street fashion with Primark for the Autumn/Winter 2025 (AW25) collaboration. The 70-piece collection combines practical staples with bold prints and textures, offering shoppers versatile options for everyday outfits this season.

Photo: @primark-Instagram

Outerwear is a highlight of the AW25 line. Key pieces include cropped check jackets, green bomber jackets, and faux fur-lined aviator jackets, all designed for layering and everyday wear. These jackets provide warmth without compromising on style, making them suitable for a variety of occasions and transitional weather.

Photo: @primark-Instagram

Prints and textures feature prominently throughout the collection. Checks, argyle, and leopard patterns give each piece character, while oversized tops and scarves can be layered in different ways. The colour palette balances autumnal neutrals with brighter accents, allowing shoppers to mix and match pieces to suit their own style.

Photo: @primark-Instagram

Affordability remains central to the collaboration. Prices range from €5 to €42, making the collection accessible to a wide audience. Standout items include the Cropped Tartan Borg Jacket, priced at €30, and the Printed Half-Zip Borg Fleece at €20. Both pieces combine practicality with distinctive design, offering shoppers simple ways to update their seasonal wardrobe.

The AW25 collection is available in Primark stores across Ireland and the UK, with online options through Click & Collect. This ensures that shoppers can access the collection easily, whether visiting in person or shopping from home.

Photo: @primark-Instagram

The collaboration continues to show Rita Ora’s influence in bringing celebrity-led designs to the high street. By combining statement prints, layered outfits, and seasonal staples, the AW25 drop offers pieces that work for daily wear while adding a playful, stylish edge. Shoppers can experiment with layering, textures, and colours without investing in high-cost designer pieces.

For anyone looking to refresh their autumn and winter wardrobe, the Rita Ora AW25 collection provides practical, wearable pieces with a contemporary edge, proving that high-street fashion can be both functional and stylish.