Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been banned from serving as a charity trustee for five years following an investigation by the Charity Commission, which uncovered
widespread financial misconduct at Fashion for Relief, a charity she founded to tackle poverty.
The watchdog’s inquiry revealed that Fashion for Relief raised millions from high-profile celebrity fashion events but passed only a small portion of the funds to charitable causes. The charity was found to have inappropriately spent tens of thousands of pounds on luxury hotel stays, flights, spa treatments, personal security, and cigarettes for Campbell. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of pounds in unauthorized consultancy payments were made to one of Campbell’s fellow trustees.
Between 2016 and 2021, the charity raised nearly £4.8 million but distributed only £389,000 in grants after accounting for event and other expenses. The investigation also revealed that nearly £350,000 was later recovered and distributed to partner charities such as Save the Children and the Mayor’s Fund for London, following the appointment of interim managers by the commission.
One of Campbell’s fellow trustees, Bianka Hellmich, who received £290,000 in unauthorized consultancy fees and £26,000 annually in travel expenses, was disqualified from being a trustee for nine years. She has since repaid the full amount, completing a repayment plan in April 2023. A third trustee, Veronica Chou, was banned for four years.
The commission found that Fashion for Relief had chaotic financial management, with shambolic record-keeping and no full-time staff. The charity incurred extravagant costs, including a €14,800 flight for a former trustee and donor to a Cannes event and a €3,000-a-night hotel stay for Campbell. Expenses such as €8,000 in spa treatments, room service, and other personal items were also charged to the charity.
While Fashion for Relief had claimed it was a platform to encourage direct donations to partner charities, the inquiry found evidence of serious financial mismanagement. Funds owed to charities, including €450,000 to Save the Children, were delayed, with some payments only made in 2023 by interim managers.
The Charity Commission’s assistant director, Tim Hopkins, stated: "Trustees are legally required to act in the best interests of their charity and comply with their legal duties. Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, leading to their disqualification."
Fashion for Relief was formally wound up in March after it was discovered to be insolvent, with insufficient funds to cover its debts. Save the Children has since confirmed that it has ended its relationship with Fashion for Relief and has no plans to collaborate with the charity in the future. Photo by Renan Katayama, Wikimedia commons.