In 2019, Think Money reported that 49% of young Brits would buy clothing simply because they like the celebrity endorsing or creating it. With the launch of Kylie Jenner’s new clothing brand, it feels like every other celebrity is trying their luck in the fashion industry. I’m left wondering if the celebrity to fashion designer pipeline will eventually become the norm, contributing to an already oversaturated fashion landscape. The vast majority of celebrity fashion brands possess a customary lack of singularity. Their lines usually consist of low-quality, modish, ill-considered items. Due to their reliance on the relentless trend cycle, they influence their customers into purchasing trendy throwaway pieces, rather than purchasing versatile, long-term items. This harmful notion contributes to a plethora of problems in the Global South. For example, The Guardian reported that fast fashion is one of the main causes of water pollution in Ghana. On top of this, the perpetuation of fast fashion continually contributes to companies' poor labour practices and therefore treatment of their garment workers, Emma Ross explains.  Despite this, thanks to fair fashion campaigners such as Venetia La Manna, The Or Foundation’s “Speak Volumes” campaign, Love Island’s partnership with eBay, and BBC Panorama documentary “Boohoo's Broken Promises”, a desire for sustainable, ethical, and independent fashion has become more mainstream. Despite tone deaf celebrities continuing to pollute the fashion industry with aimless designs.

Naomi Campbell’s collaboration with Pretty Little Thing, a brand owned by the notoriously harmful Boohoo Group, is just one example of celebrity endorsed fast fashion. In 2020, journalists from The Sunday Times revealed that Boohoo’s garment workers were being paid £3.50 an hour. In addition to the unethical working practices harnessed by the Boohoo group, the company provides no information regarding environmental issues caused by their mass production. Despite this, in September, Pretty Little Thing announced the launch of their new collection in collaboration with millionaire supermodel Naomi Campbell. This collaboration unsettled many, but its success served as a prominent reminder that celebrity endorsement sells, even in light of the brand’s shameful practices. Singer-songwriter Rihanna has also ventured into the world of fashion with her lingerie and loungewear brand, Savage X Fenty (SXF). SXF is widely praised for its diversity, with models of different sizes, skin tones, genders, and ages. Whilst SXF has had a positive impact on the inclusion of marginalised groups in the Global North, it’s hard to consider this a genuine feat when marginalised groups in the Global South are being exploited in the name of inclusivity. SXF was one of the lowest ranking companies covered in Remake’s 2022 Fashion Accountability Report, scoring a depressing four points out of 150 and demonstrating a complete lack of both ethical and sustainable standards. The juxtaposition between the brand's ethos and its inadequate practices is incredibly disappointing; it all feels very Black Mirror.