Naomi Campbell paid tribute to her south London roots as she was unveiled as the recipient of the British Fashion Council’s 2019 fashion icon award.

Campbell made history when she became the first black British model to appear on the cover of British Vogue in 1987 and the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue the following year. She has appeared on the front of more than 500 magazines to date.

“This is a very emotional award to me to receive [as] although I spend so much of my life in different parts of the world, I think people sometimes forget that I’m from Brixton: I’m a south London girl,” she said at a press conference announcing the award on Monday.

The 49-year-old has picked up several awards during her 30-year career including the special recognition award at the British fashion awards in 2010.

The fashion icon award is one of a handful that are announced in advance of the ceremony, which is scheduled to take place on 2 December at the Royal Albert Hall.

The BFC chief executive, Caroline Rush, said on Monday she could not think of a more deserving recipient, and praised Campbell for representing female empowerment, activism and glamour.

To coincide with the announcement, Campbell revealed that her charity catwalk show, Fashion for Relief, would take place during London fashion week in September. The event, which started in 2005, has raised funds for the those affected by natural disasters including the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

In previous years she has brought in a host of her celebrity friends to ensure the show is headline news, including Kate Moss and the Duchess of York. She said this year’s event would be very special.