By FashioningLife
The world of fashion has had its fair share of odd collaborations: Ben & Jerry’s x Nike, Burberry x Minecraft, Ikea x Off White, but Naomi Campbell x PrettyLittleThing was probably not on your 2023 prediction list. Nor in anyone else’s, for that matter.
“Naomi Campbell's brand deal with PLT? Cost of living has us all at our lowest” @jasebyjason a user on Twitter seems to be laughing it off. Whilst others are using humour as a coping mechanism, some feel a lot more distressed, such as fashion commentator Odunayo Ojo who tweeted “This Naomi Campbell PLT deal is so sad - she’s going out bad.” But what is it about this specific brand deal that makes people feel so afflicted?
In November 2021, PrettyLittleThing launched a special offer for Black Friday called ‘Pink Friday’, during which the Manchester-based brand discounted its item to up to 100%. On the website, bikinis tops or blouses were available for just 99 pence. The special offer immediately sparked controversy amongst sustainable activists and fashion influencers. How can it be possible to sell items for such a low price while respecting workers rights as well as being respectful to the environment? At this point, Naomi Campbell had grown to be known for her charitable works with organisations to fight against poverty around the world, as well as racism within the sport and the fashion industry.
The brand and the supermodel seemed two worlds apart. As one, a brand notorious for actively contributing to landfills in Africa and the other a Supermodel that organised a benefit Versace Fashion Show for the Nelson’s Mandela Children Fund. Yet, on July 1st, PLT posted a video with a co-branded director’s chair on Instagram to officially announce the collaboration between the two names.
It appears that Campbell will be designing a new collection for the British Fast Fashion brand. In the light of Shein’s recent influencer trip that created vivid backlash on social media (specifically TikTok, on which said influencers were denounced for a lack of critical thinking), Campbell's decision to collaborate with such a fast-fashion brand seems like a questionable choice. While PLT described this collaboration to be an “exclusive collection [that] intertwines 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”, Campbell’s association with a brand famously known for its poor labour conditions and sustainable ethics might have an impact on the overall Supermodel’s image.
Comments