PrettyLittleThing founder hands out thousands of pounds of gifts to strangers

PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani spent Christmas Day handing out thousands of pounds of gifts to strangers on Twitter from a trip to New York to a new car, and money for clothes and to pay off debts.

Kamani, who is the son of Boohoo founder Mahmud Kamani, invited Twitter users to name the Christmas gifts they would like to receive using the hashtag #PrettyLittleWishes for one hour at 5pm on Christmas Day and then surprised many of them by making their wishes come true.

One Twitter user said she was watching Home Alone 2 and asked for a pizza, Kamani replied that he would send her and friend to New York for a weekend as that was the best place to eat cheese pizza.

Another user said she had been enduring dialysis three times a week while waiting for a kidney transplant, and Kamani has agreed to send her £1,000 to pay for a new wedding dress.

Other gifts included £1,000 donation towards someone's cancer treatment, a limited edition PrettyLittleThing Fiat car to encourage a user to pass her driving test, £300 for clothes for the son of a single mother and the clearing of a student's £1,000 overdraft.

Kamani is one of the UK's most successful fashion entrepreneurs at the age of 31. He and his brother Adam established Pretty Little Thing in 2012, inspired by the success of their father's Boohoo business. In December 2016 the business was acquired by the Boohoo Group and is its fastest growing business.

In the six months to 31 August, PrettyLittleThing recorded a 41% increase in sales to £237.6 million, meaning it is snapping at the heels of flagship brand Boohoo, which recorded sales up 34% to £281 million for the same period.

Kamani is known for his luxury lifestyle, which is he recounts on his Instagram account, however he is also very close to his customers on social media, often responding to posts personally. In July 2018, when the business struggled to keep up with deliveries following a move to a new warehouse, he took to social media himself to apologise to customers and respond to complaints personally turning what could have been a PR disaster into a PR triumph.

PrettyLittleThing broke the mould in fast fashion by not just copying celebrity style but by recruiting celebrities to wear its clothes and often collaborating with them. One of its most recent collaborations has been with pop group Little Mix. Kamani set up a headquarters in LA for the Manchester-based firm to bring the brand closer to the celebrities and influencers with whom it works.