Dear Gossips,
New York Fashion Week kicked off yesterday with the debut of Naomi Campbell’s collection with Pretty Little Thing. This is a familiar sight – Naomi on the catwalk but this time wearing pieces she co-created, alongside emerging designers Victor Anate and Edvin Thompson, who accompanied her down the runway to close the show.
The collection is both accessibly priced and accessibly sized with items starting at US$10 and maxing out at around US$175 and available up to size 26. To me it’s giving holiday and Revolve – sequins, feathers, cutouts, body-con… Naomi has made it clear that she’s targeting a younger consumer, and keeping their budget in mind. And she’s not taking any sh-t from critics who are side-eying her for collaborating with a brand that’s been accused of poor working conditions and unsustainable practices, saying in an interview with W that:
“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? I want PLT to continue to work with young, emerging designers across the world, especially from the emerging regions, where they don’t get the same platform and recognition of our fashion capitals—end of [story].”
Naomi went on to explain that it’s not like change isn’t possible, but opportunity has to come first. And she’s taking this opportunity, for what is apparently her first ever collection, to amplify the talents of Victor and Edvin.
Up next for Naomi…
The Super Models.
A new trailer for the docuseries, premiering on Apple on September 20, just dropped today. For those of us who lived through this era, and bought all the magazines and watched Fashion Television and obsessively played George Michael’s video, over and over again, this is what we’ve been waiting for.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
