[Source: BBC] Naomi Campbell’s charity Fashion for Relief was reported by Unicef to a watchdog, it has emerged, after it claimed to be working with the global children’s charity. Unicef UK told BBC News it had never been a partner of Fashion for Relief, and had not received any funds from an event that was held in 2019 purportedly to raise money for it. The Charity Commission confirmed it received a “serious incident report” from Unicef in 2022.
Last week, the model was banned from being a charity trustee after the regulator found funds were spent on luxury hotels and spa treatments. Neither Campbell nor Fashion for Relief have responded to a request for comment about Unicef’s complaint. Fashion for Relief held a catwalk show and auction at the British Museum in 2019, which it said would raise money for Unicef and the Mayor’s Fund for London.
The Guardian, which first reported the news, said there were also questions about why the model was billed as a Unicef “envoy” at an official meeting in 2018 with then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson. Unicef added that an official ambassadorial role “comes after many years of commitment and support to Unicef”. The charity said it takes fundraising compliance “very seriously”, and reported Fashion for Relief to the Charity Commission “as per our statutory requirements”.
A Charity Commission spokesperson said Unicef’s report “was considered, alongside wider evidence and information as part of our statutory i.