PLT's Founder Umar Kamani is back out of retirement

After a set of tweets by Umar Kamani surfaced this morning, nodding to his return to the fashion world, it has been revealed that the PLT Founder is backing a freshly launched fashion PR agency.

The first of two tweets saw Kamani comment on struggling TopShop, writing: "I would buy this and bring it back like the good old days... rockin and rolling." Initial interpretations were that the fashion mogul was contemplating the purchase of TopShop from Asos.

TopShop, which was once a permanent fixture on global high streets across the world, has been online-only since ASOS acquired it from parent Arcadia Group in 2021, following the company going into administration the year prior.

Reportedly, ASOS will attempt to unload the brand as part of restructuring plans after its shares fell by 40% over the last year.

The second tweet saw Kamani suggest he was coming out of retirement. However, it is now clear that he was referring to backing the new PR agency today that launched today. The new agency, dubbed "KW Public Relations LTD", was founded by PLT’s former in-house communications leader. This is the first of Kamani's potential ventures back into the fashion world.

PrettyLittleThing Founder Umar Kamani stepped down from his role as CEO back in April after 12 years. Kamani, who started the business with his brother in 2012, announced his decision on social media yesterday and now plans to pursue “new challenges” with the potential to “build new brands”.

Since then, he has purchased a 3% stake in Boohoo Group, which was founded by his father Mahmud Kamani and business partner Carol Kane. The move comes despite falling profits at Boohoo. For the year ending 28 February 2023, the Manchester-based firm also saw revenue drop 11% to £1.7 billion.