Forget Naomi: mum's the word

VALERIE CAMPBELL, mother of Naomi the ubiquitous supermodel, and almost as glamorous, clearly enjoyed the spotlight as she stepped on to the catwalk (left) yesterday to provide an unmissable finish to the second day of London Fashion Week, held at the Natural History Museum.

Wayne Hemingway, designer of the label Red or Dead, who does not believe in spending fortunes to coax supermodels to his shows, asked her to model for the finale. Red or Dead is always regarded as the young and wacky end of British fashion, but 42-year-old Mrs Campbell, on her first London catwalk experience, found lots of pieces in the collection that she wanted to buy.

Red or Dead's collection was the strongest to date from the radical British designer. The show combined heavy- metal rock chic with Evel Knievel-style jumpsuits, Seventies Americana, and a taste of Far Eastern red-light districts thrown in for good measure.

Hemingway spoke out last week when Red or Dead was nominated for the More Dash Than Cash award at the Lloyds British Fashion Awards - the category for high-street retailers, which was won by French Connection - claiming it belittled the company.

At yesterday's show he asked: 'Did that look like more dash than cash?'

Indeed, a series of chiffon- and-velvet applique pyjamas for evening were beautifully crafted, and sequins sewn to butterfly-print dresses and kimono jackets were anything but tacky.

Shoes, the mainstay of Red or Dead's business, were elegantly glittery and spiky, a move away from the more clumpy styles of past seasons. The collection reflected fashion's current obsession with Seventies glam disco and included glittery acrylic knitwear and the return of the boob- tube.

(Photograph omitted)