-
Naomi Campbell's fashion charity under investigation over finances concerns

The Guardian reported, the fashion charity established by the supermodel Naomi Campbell has come under formal investigation from the charities watchdog over misconduct concerns relating to its management and finances.
Campbell created Fashion for Relief in 2005 to raise funds for children living in poverty and adversity around the world, and says it has raised millions over the years for good causes through its annual charity fashion show.
The Charity Commission is to examine whether Campbell and her fellow trustees “have properly exercised their legal duties and responsibilities under charity law”, and will investigate payments made by the charity to one of its trustees.

It will also look at the charity’s spending and the management of Fashion for Relief by its trustees, including potential misconduct and mismanagement and the failure to file statutory annual accounts on time.
Read more: New Yorkers line up streets to enjoy the annual Thanksgiving parade
Campbell is named as one of three trustees of Fashion for Relief, along with Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Sylvia Wing Wai Au Chou. All are listed as having been trustees of the charity since 2015.
Fashion for Relief has for years held glitzy fashion events to raise money for its charity partners. In 2019, it partnered with Sadiq Khan’s Mayor’s Fund for London to support low-income youngsters with skills and training.
It held a London fashion week show in September that year at the British Museum featuring a fashion show, gala dinner and art auction. Celebrities attending included Campbell, Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Skepta, and Alexa Chung.
The charity’s website does not appear to say how much money was raised for the Mayor’s Fund, though it displays cuttings from Vogue, Elle and other fashion media with headlines such as Naomi Campbell is Saving the World One Fashion Show at a Time.
Read more: Turkish police fires tear gas to break women protesting over violence
The charity is yet to publish its 2020 accounts, which are more than 178 days late according to the Charity Commission’s online register.
The charity’s last set of published accounts show that in the year to July 2019 it raised £1,722,000, most of it through sponsorships. According to the accounts, £1,606,000 of that was spent putting on a charity event and paying for PRs and other staff. Just £5,515 appears to have been given to good causes.
The 2019 accounts also reveal unusually large trustee expenses. Hellmich was paid £77,000 in consultancy fees and £15,942 in travel expenses. The previous year, the charity spent £107,000 on trustees’ fees and £23,000 on expenses.
Read more: Abu Dhabi Crown Prince holds talks with leaders from Egypt and Iraq
The Charity Commission for England has been in private discussions with Fashion for Relief for more than a year about what it called a “a range of regulatory concerns”, including late filing of accounts, potential conflicts of interests and weaknesses around financial controls.
The commission has now escalated what had been a compliance issue into a full inquiry – its most serious level of investigation – suggesting the regulator has been unable to satisfy its concerns.
Fashion for Relief has been approached for comment.
Source: theguardian
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!