Pretty Little Thing has announced a collaboration with Naomi Campbell in a move that has left fans of the supermodel ‘disappointed’.
The collaboration was announced on the fashion retailer‘s official Twitter feed, with a video of an empty director’s chair and text that reads ‘PrettyLittleThing designed by Naomi Campbell. Coming soon’.
However, Twitter users were quick to point out the hypocrisy of the superstar partnering with the fast-fashion-associated brand. Listing some of the common concerns critics of the brand have noticed, one tweeter expressed their disappointment with Campbell’s collaboration.
“Naomi Campbell let me down big time with her PLT collab, I’m so disappointed that she would think its a good idea to work with a company who: 1) doesn’t pay their workers a fair wage 2) uses harmful chemical in the production of their garments 3) exploits black talent”.
Naomi Campbell let me down big time with her PLT collab, I’m am so disappointed that she would think its a good idea to work with a company who:
1) doesn’t pay their workers a fair wage
2) uses harmful chemical in the production of their garments
3) exploits black talent— MISI AFRICA (@misiafrica) July 3, 2023
Another user questioned how the supermodel could “go from Valentine to PLT?”.
Nah I need answers. Naomi Campbell for PLT ? A high fashion model for a fast fashion IG influencer online boutique ??!! How do you go from Valentino to PLT ? I HAVE QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS ‼️‼️‼️‼️
— V (@vandoosa) July 1, 2023
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Not every user appeared to be upset, however. One tweeter expressed their excitement over the upcoming collaboration, saying that the partnership “might make [them] buy from PLT for the first time”.
What is going on lol ? Is this real ? Is Naomi Campbell okay? I have so many questions lol.
…. This might make me buy from PLT for the first time lol https://t.co/LJlPP5dlO7
— V (@vandoosa) July 1, 2023
Pretty Little Thing – which has typically collaborated with influencer and TV reality personalities, including several Love Island stars – said it was “very excited” for its upcoming collaboration with the “legendary supermodel”.
“This exclusive collection will intertwine the essence of PLT with Naomi’s unique style, promising a fashion experience like no other… a new chapter in our fashion story is about to begin.”
The twitter comments come in the wake of a series of controversies surrounding the the clothes brand and its parent company, the Boohoo family, regarding worker exploitation in their supply.
One recent incident saw the company come under fire following its association with a factory in Leicester, where garment workers were paid £3 and forced to work during Covid-19 lockdowns.
Additional controversies include allegations of stealing designs from small designers and a terms and conditions product cancer warning that went viral, despite the online fashion retailer later revealing it was actually a legal requirement and their products were not actually carcinogenic.
Boohoo at the time released a statement saying the garment factory conditions were “totally unacceptable and fall woefully short of any standards acceptable in any workplace” and pledged to investigate the issue further.
The collaboration follows the parent brand’s, Boohoo, last year appointment of Kourtney Kardashian Barker as a sustainability ambassador.
