The 54-year-old supermodel was receiving the Fashion Icon Award at Fashion Row's Fashion Show and Style Awards on Tuesday when she branded the Vogue boss the "other woman" in an apparent response to the 74-year-old journalist calling out her renowned lack of punctuality.
Taking to the stage, the New York Post newspaper reports Wintour had said to laughs from the crowd: "I am a very punctual person, and I have the honour of presenting tonight to someone who is often late."
Anna Wintour didn't seem all that bothered by Naomi Campbell's perceived swipe. (AP PHOTO)
Harper's Bazaar editor-in-chief Samira Nasr then offered a second introduction to Campbell, and as she accepted her award, the model said: "It's so important that I'm here today, and I'm honoured to be here in Harlem.Â
"Everything's going to work out the way it's going to work out."
Referring to Wintour, she said: "It wasn't my choice to have the other woman."
She then gestured to Samira and said, "I'd much rather have this."
The crowd gasped but Campbell insisted she had to be honest because she has "always been unapologetically truthful".
But later in her speech, Campbell praised Anna for offering her support when she was starting out in the fashion industry.
She said: "We must still say thank you to Anna Wintour, as she did take the time to come here and give me the award even though I wasn't here.
"So thank you, Anna Wintour, for your support in my career from 1987, meeting a young black girl from South London in British Vogue offices and taking a chance in giving me a shoot.
"And so, I thank you for your influence and your continuing support in pushing fashion forward also."
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