"After Versace was murdered, the first person to call me was Mandela"
About this Quote
The subtext is social capital as consolation. Campbell isn't just mourning a friend and collaborator; she's marking her position in an elite network where fashion, politics, and philanthropy blur. Mandela's call signals legitimacy that no runway credit can buy. It also suggests the private infrastructure behind public icons: leaders don't only govern; they cultivate relationships, offer comfort, and, in doing so, confer a kind of moral halo on the recipient.
There's a quieter tension, too. By invoking Mandela, Campbell preempts cynicism about the fashion world's alleged shallowness: look who took this seriously. Yet the name-drop is unavoidable, and that's the point. Her quote performs what celebrity does at its most revealing: it converts an unspeakable moment into a narrative of connection, where the measure of impact isn't just who died, but who cared enough - or was important enough - to call.
Quote Details
| Topic | Respect |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Campbell, Naomi. (2026, January 16). After Versace was murdered, the first person to call me was Mandela. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/after-versace-was-murdered-the-first-person-to-84418/
Chicago Style
Campbell, Naomi. "After Versace was murdered, the first person to call me was Mandela." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/after-versace-was-murdered-the-first-person-to-84418/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"After Versace was murdered, the first person to call me was Mandela." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/after-versace-was-murdered-the-first-person-to-84418/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






