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Naomi Campbell has surprised fans with some rather unexpected news. As announced on Instagram, the veteran supermodel has partnered up with fast-fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing for a soon-to-be-released collection.
Designed by the legend herself, the collaboration was teased with a clip of a director’s chair emblazoned with “Pretty Little Thing, designed by Naomi Campbell,” with nothing but the same in the captions. Naturally, the reveal sparked many confused comments, with one user posting, “One of the most respected supermodels collabing with an unethical brand that steals designs from small businesses. how embarrassing,” and blogger Camille Charriere simply writing, “Why.”
It’s believed that the partnership came about by way of Campbell’s friendship with PLT’s CEO Umar Kamani, who stepped down earlier this year.
The move still comes as a shock, given Campbell’s illustrious career. Having been a muse for luxury fashion houses like Chanel, Hugo Boss, Versace, Lanvin, Burberry, Balmain, Givenchy and plenty more across her incredible career, it feels at odds to now turn to fast fashion.
Moreover, Campbell is a staunch advocate for emerging designers and Black talent in fashion, often lending her platform to charitable causes that celebrate creativity, including the kinds of brands that fast-fashion giants like PLT notoriously rip off. The company also has a sordid history of scandals, including accusations of alleged greenwashing and exploitative working conditions. Good On You, a blog that rates fashion brands based on sustainability, labour treatment, and animal welfare, even gave PrettyLittleThing a “We Avoid” rating, which is the lowest rating the organisation offers.
While it’s true that fashion doesn’t always pay the bills and that a partnership with PLT—whose worth stood at $7.2 billion (AUD) as of April 2023—would surely involve a lucrative paycheque that not many of us could afford to refuse, the collaboration is understandably not sitting well with fans. It’s worth pointing out that accessibility in fashion is a pervasive issue, and Campbell can’t bear the entire weight of fast fashion’s problems, but the partnership certainly raises questions about virtue signalling in the industry. Nevertheless, we’re sure that Campbell’s name alone on the joint venture will see it succeed commercially.
