The commission found “multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement,” revealing that only 8.5% of the charity’s expenditures from 2016 went toward charitable grants, the Associated Press reported.
What Happened
Funds were reportedly used to cover Campbell’s luxury hotel accommodations in Cannes, spa treatments, room service, and even cigarettes. The trustees claimed that these costs were typically covered by a donor, but the commission stated that they provided no evidence to support this claim.
In response to the findings, Campbell expressed her “extreme concern” and mentioned that she is conducting her own investigation.
“I was not in control of my charity; I put the control in the hands of a legal employer,” she said after being honored as a knight in France’s Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to French culture. Campbell emphasized her commitment to charity, stating, “everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity.”
The inquiry also found that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received approximately £290,000 (around $385,000) in unauthorized funds for consultancy services, violating the charity’s constitution. Hellmich has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years, while another trustee, Veronica Chou, has been barred for four years.
Tim Hopkins, deputy director for specialist investigations and standards at the Charity Commission, noted, “Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests. … Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so.”
Founded in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, “Fashion for Relief” was designed to unite the fashion industry to address poverty and support health and education initiatives globally. Earlier this year, the charity was dissolved and removed from the charity register, but its website remains active, claiming to have raised over $15 million for various causes worldwide.
The commission reported that around £344,000 ($460,000) has been recovered, with an additional £98,000 in charitable funds protected and redirected to support two other charities .