PLT is one of many fast fashion brands that rely on celebrity and influencer collabs to boost their image, a clever marketing tactic that “encourages micro-trends and allows brands to reach consumers at all times of the day, wherever they are,” explains Amy Reid for Varsity. With a history of modelling for high fashion labels from Prada to Yves Saint Laurent and Burberry, the public was “ shocked and disappointed” over her decision to work with the fast fashion brand to design a new collection. In July 2023, fashion model Naomi Campbell faced backlash from fans over her collaboration announcement with PrettyLittleThing.

How ethical is PrettyLittleThing? Celebrity collab backlash

But we know by now that rapid production at low prices is a classically unsustainable business model, so let’s dig a little deeper and see if the “pretty” continues below the surface for workers, animals, and the environment. It is a go-to option for size inclusivity, featuring extensive plus, tall, and petite ranges. The brand, founded in the UK in 2012 as a small accessories-only company, has since grown to one of the largest fast fashion retailers. Its Instagram account, boasting over 18m followers, is full of diverse, happy-looking women sporting colourful and trendy clothes. On the surface, Boohoo-owned PrettyLittleThing appears-well, pretty. Our ratings analysts are constantly rerating the thousands of brands you can check on our directory. This article is based on the PrettyLittleThing rating published in October 2022 and may not reflect claims the brand has made since then. PrettyLittleThing is “Not Good Enough” due to its lack of positive action for people, the planet, and animals. It may be pretty on the surface, but things get a little murky as you go down the supply chain. Buying through our links may earn us a commission-supporting the work we do. Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system.

Pretty little thing store