Love Island fan-favourite Indiyah Polackhas signed a six-figure deal with Pretty Little Thing, the first ever ambassador for their new platform, PLT Marketplace. The ‘sustainable’ branch of the fast-fashion company allows users to buy and sell used clothing from a variety of brands. News of Indiyah’s signing comes just one day after she announced her beauty ambassadorship with Boots.
It's one of the most successful post-Love Island career launches we’ve seen, with two major (and very lucrative) brand deals covering both fashion and beauty. But it’s also a long-time coming for fans who have waited with bated breath for Indiyah to announce her next move since the shows finale. In fact, just last week Love Island viewers raged on Twitter after Gemma Owen was announced as PLT’s ambassador, noting that Indiyah received many more votes when the brand polled viewers on who they should partner with.
Is this a reactionary signing then, some wonder? Unlikely. The announcement comes just one week after Gemma’s ambassadorship was publicised, a small window of time to plan a campaign, agree contracts and shoot content for an entire new arm of the PLT brand. At the time fans were sceptical about Gemma’s signing over Indiyah,boyfriend Dami Hopealso alluded to something like this going on behind the scenes.
'Everyone is jumping to conclusions, there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that people aren't seeing,' he told Cosmopolitan. 'We should celebrate everyones wins... keep in mind you do not know what's going on behind the scenes, things could be working but they've just not been announced yet.'
Plus, Indiyah’s own Instagram caption says it all. ‘I can finally tell you what we’ve been working on for so long,’ she posted. ‘I am the FIRST EVER ambassador for @prettylittlething Marketplace!! This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to bring you all on the journey with me!’
But the controversy doesn’t end there, unfortunately. While many are proudly supporting Indiyah and genuinely joyful that she’s signed a lucrative contract with such a popular brand, some are conflicted about PLT Marketplace altogether. Announced just yesterday – before Indiyah’s ambassadorship was publicised – the concept of a resale platform under PLT’s name was immediately questioned.
‘Are you reducing the number of products you make in the first place? If not, then this is just a load of greenwash,’ one follower replied to their announcement. ‘Let's talk about your overproduction instead,’ another added.
Pretty Little Thing have long been criticised for their impact on the environment and have a labour rating of ‘very poor’ on ethical fashion watchdog Good on You. The entire concept of their business model is to follow trends that come and go even faster than the seasons, thus creating a constant demand for new clothes.
It’s why some consider PLT Marketplace to be ‘greenwashing’ - a form of advertising or marketing spin in which so-called sustainable practices are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly.
‘Their products are trend-led and ultra-fast, meaning they’re specifically not designed to be resold or have any longevity whatsoever, so resale is never on the cards for those items,’ Brett Staniland, model and sustainable fashion editor, told HuffPost UK. ‘The most sustainable thing they can do is just cease operations altogether.’
The issue with Indiyah’s signing then is nothing to do with the influencer herself, whose fashion sense was adored by many during her time on Love Island, but more so the concept of a PLT Marketplace.
Can her supporters invest in her endeavours when they don’t necessarily support the platform? It’s a conundrum, that’s for sure.