In the competitive world of online fashion, PrettyLittleThing is fighting for its life.
At 6pm yesterday the Boohoo Group-owned company dropped its highly choreographed rebrand onto a curious public.
Under the title of ‘A Legacy in Progress’ the company has ditched its recognisable bubblegum pink unicorn emblem branding in favour of a more sophisticated heritage-inspired mark.
The company’s new-look website gushed: “Allow us to reintroduce you to PrettyLittleThing, the generation-defining style source for every kind of It Girl.
“With the belief that elevated fashion essentials should be available to all. From the classic and timeless to the contemporary and cutting edge, designed with you in mind.
“This is the next era of PLT, and we’re excited to have you with us.”
In other words, PrettyLittleThing has grown up. Returning CEO Umar Kamani is trying to move away from fast fashion and towards sophistication.
Instant reaction on social media ranged from ‘love this rebrand!! So much more up to date’ to ‘you guys used to be fun. The rebrand is terrible and the clothes are boring. Taking my business to Princess Polly’.
Will the bold new look work? Only time will tell but Kamani, who turns 37 on March 21st, certainly won’t die wondering after going all-out on the slick relaunch.
In the run-up to Monday’s big announcement, Kamani took to Instagram to share a 93-second video of him on stage with Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett.
Writing to his 1.2 million followers he said: “I had the absolute privilege of welcoming my dear friend Steven (Bartlett) to join me on stage in front of our amazing PLT team and family.
PLT CEO Umar Kamani talks to Steven Bartlett
“We had an emotional, powerful, and deeply inspiring conversation about the future of this brand – our brand. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
“Tomorrow, we go live. Tomorrow, we begin a new era. This is more than a brand – it’s a legacy in progress. And I can’t wait for you all to see what’s coming next.”
It’s hard to know the level of Bartlett’s involvement in the rebrand but the video certainly looked like it had benefited from his marketing acumen.
It starts with a teary-eyed Kamani – wearing a black PLT baseball cap – being handed a tissue to dab his eyes as the pair talked about PLT’s journey.
Throw in a liberal use of subtitles and background music and I honestly thought I was looking at the latest trailer for an episode of The Diary of a CEO.
“We are fearless,” he told Bartlett. “We’re fearless again.
“While people were analysing, we were doing. And by doing, you know the answer quicker than the people who are analysing.
“I feel proud, I feel excited. A bit emotional actually as well because I didn’t like where we’d got to.”
After wiping away his tears Kamani added: “It’s not about how old you are, it’s about how good you are and how much you want it. That’s what this rebrand is all about – redefining who we are.
“When people walk into the office on Monday, please try and fail because that’s fine. But if you don’t try and you analyse for too long, someone else hungrier and faster is going to do it.
“People talk about the old PLT. This PLT is going to be far better.”
Just to reinforce the message – and ensure that all eyes were watching their 6pm rebrand – PrettyLittleThing wiped their Instagram feed.
“Whatever’s happening, it’s BIG,” screamed social media marketing specialist Arvind Kulkarni on LinkedIn alongside a screenshot of PLT’s Instagram page showing 18m followers and zero posts.
Marketing consultant Vanshika Balad shared exactly the same screenshot with the message: “PrettyLittleThing.com just sent shockwaves through the internet and we’re all like 👀🤔
“They’ve wiped their entire profile clean – ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS!! No posts, no content. Just a blank slate with a splash of a new colour and the words “Legacy in Progress” with a date: 03.03.25.
“WHAT IS HAPPENING??! Is this a full rebrand? A game-changing collab? A whole new vibe?! 🤩
Teary-eyed Umar Kamani wipes away tears during his interview with Steven Bartlett
“The suspense is REAL. They’ve definitely got everyone on the edge of their seats and I can’t wait to see what’s in store! March 3rd is about to be a game-changer.”
PrettyLittleThing’s official LinkedIn account helpfully shared Balad’s post.
Incidentally, although PLT’s Instagram feed was wiped that wasn’t the case for its TikTok and X accounts.
The big question now is this: Will PLT’s rebrand work?
Kamani, who rejoined the business last September, has staked everything on the new look.
A combination of the cost-of-living crisis, supply chain challenges, inflation and competition from the likes of Shein mean it remains a hugely challenging time – especially when you add Boohoo’s ongoing row with Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group into the mix.
However, like his larger-than-life Dad Mahmud, Umar Kamani isn’t afraid to make headlines.
Speaking to the respected fashion press Drapers the Manchester City fan mischievously compared PLT to its arch rivals on the other side of the city.
“We were a bit like Manchester United,” he said. “A really iconic club but didn’t keep up with the time. But what we’ve done differently is that we’ve got up now.”