Naomi Campbell has spoken out about criticism over her decision to partner with fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing.
The supermodel recently announced a PLT collection which will “pay homage to [her] legacy and iconic signature style”.
However, many critics have questioned her decision to work with the brand, which has a rating of “Not Good Enough” from the website Good On You, who rate fashion companies’ sustainability credentials.
Naomi has responded to critics in an interview with W magazine, first saying she hasn’t “really seen” the backlash.
“I haven’t had time,” she added. “I got two kids, two babies, to take care of.
“But you know what? I’ve made my commitment and I’ve done what I wanted to do. I want to collaborate with young, emerging designers.
“And so for me, if I can get them on the platform, and get the light shone on them [...] that makes me happy.”
When the interviewer reiterated that Noami’s decision to partner with PLT feels “interesting” given the fashion world’s current “focus on sustainability,” she replied: “I understand people’s criticism.
“I understand what people are going to say, but I took it from a standpoint of getting to know the audience of the younger generation and being able to share my platform.
“There are so many other fast-fashion brands out there—do people say anything about other models when they work with them?
“Do they say anything when other Caucasian models have worked with fast-fashion brands and done collaborations? They’ve said not a word. They’ve praised them. So why are they coming for me?”
For the PLT collaboration, Naomi has worked with emerging fashion designers Victor Anate, from Nigeria, and Jamaica-born Edvin Thompson, who is based in New York City.
The sizes will range from 4 to 30 and prices will be between £10 and £120.
Naomi is far from the first celebrity to draw heat for partnering with a fast fashion website and Kourtney Kardashian was previously forced to defend herself after a backlash over her role as a Boohoo ambassador with a focus on sustainability.
Molly-Mae Hague also faced similar criticism when she became PLT’s creative director in 2021. She never addressed the row, and eventually stepped down from the role earlier this year to spend more time with her daughter, Bambi.
Meanwhile, Laura Whitmore raised eyebrows with her decision to sign up as Primark’s “I Care” ambassador in the same year.
The presenter announced the role in a post on Instagram, but many accused Primark of “green-washing” and pointed out that Laura’s lengthy post failed to specify exactly what they would be doing to be more sustainable.
Despite criticisms, brands such as PLT and Boohoo continue to announce multiple celebrity collabs each year, with Love Islanders routinely signing deals shortly after leaving the villa.