Pretty little pivot: will a brand refresh be hit or miss for PLT?

Whether it be being under fire for allegations of slavery and unsafe working conditions, “misleading” social media advertising or upsetting thousands of shoppers after deactivating their accounts, one thing PrettyLittleThing certainly knows how to do is cause a stir online.

This week, the brand abandoned its pink unicorn branding and has unveiled a refresh, which sees it leaning towards “blending timeless heritage with a youthful edge”, along with a switch of the brand’s colour palette from bubblegum pink to muted, neutral tones.

The rebrand, which returning co-founder Umar Kamani is calling “a legacy in progress”, is targeting the former shoppers of PLT’s trend-led, bargain buys, who have now grown up and are seeking timeless capsule pieces for their wardrobes.

“We are more focused on refreshing, refining and improving our current offering to ensure our product range has moved in the same way our customer has grown,” said Kamani. 

But is the rebrand authentic enough to resonate with shoppers in 2025? And will a new colour palette be enough to turn the tide at the fast-fashion retailer?

A new era

Last September saw the return of PLT founder and former chief executive Umar Kamani, and so began an attempt at a brand revival. Kamani apologised to customers for “negative experiences” during his time away and vowed to put the fashion brand back in a positive light.

The outcome of his return appears to be the “new era” of PLT via its rebrand, something that hopes to offer “quality fashion essentials” for everyone. But can a brand owned by the Boohoo Group truly deliver on this promise?

Although claiming to “leave ‘fast fashion’ as we currently know it behind”, under the ‘what we’re about section’ on PLT’s website, it says ”PrettyLittleThing.com is your one-stop shop for trend-led women’s clothing at seriously killer prices” and that there will still be “hundreds of new products dropping daily”.

Kamani’s refresh includes the launch of an elevated PLT own-brand label as well as the ‘New Beginnings’ range celebrating “modern style”.

PLT isn’t the only fashion brand to have struggled when it comes to evolving in line with its customer base – with the likes of Asos, Topshop and the Shein-owned Missguided all having an identity crisis in terms of customer engagement over the years. So Kamani’s attempt to shift towards the “evolving style” of PLT’s customers seems to be a step in the right direction.

But the move has stirred up plenty of criticism from onlookers in the market. It’s the design element that fashion brand Odd Muse’s founder and chief executive Aimee Smale has a problem with.

@aimeesmalex Like what’s actually different lol will still be loading on 1000 new in pieces a week & bullying suppliers to make it all in record timing #PLT #fastfashion ♬ original sound - Aimee Smale

In a video she uploaded to TikTok, Smale expressed her many issues with the rebrand, something she thinks many customers are “smart enough” not to buy into.

“I’m interested to see [PLT’s] design process because everyone had a problem with the design process because it was always just sitting around on a Monday morning and seeing what other brands have done and copying independent designers,” she claimed. 

Marketing win or woe?

Customers have also brought some mixed reviews. One took to social media to call the new look and feel “the biggest copy” of fashion brand Meshki, while another said the rebrand is “terrible” and deemed the new collection “boring”. On the other hand, some are calling it “exciting” and others have said they “love it”.

Marketer Gracie Tobias criticised PLT on LinkedIn, saying: “Every marketer is talking about PrettyLittleThing’s updated campaign and I have to be honest… this switch to a more ’sophisticated’ look is very ironic to me.

“It girls don’t want this ‘new era’ of marketing gimmicks lacking genuine substance, they want true change, authenticity, quality and fashion that aligns with their values.

“Marketing isn’t just about a good-looking brand image, it’s about accurately depicting the brand’s true values and practices.”

This was echoed by Smale who added: “Every single problem everyone had with PLT has not been addressed. This is the most brainwashing, mind-numbing thing I’ve ever seen. 

“The production line needs to be addressed more than anything. Who cares about the new logo and less-trendy pieces? We want to know where they are coming from and who’s making them.”

While PLT has left many questions about its business practices unanswered, it seems Kamani is attempting to listen to its customers to make changes. The project remains a “legacy in progress” but some serious issues have been raised over a Boohoo-owned fashion brand’s ability to achieve a true “transformation”.

PrettyLittleThing was approached for comment.