Fashion Nova has become one of the most popular and successful clothing brands of the past few years thanks largely to its ambassador program, which trades on influencers’ social media clout to increase the brand’s visibility. Fashion Nova has also employed celebrity endorsers to great effect, from Cardi B to Kylie Jenner, ensuring instant recognition among millennials and Gen Z. However, the policy has occasionally backfired as well, at times costing the brand millions due to broken contracts.
The latest celebrity to cut and run on the brand, according to TMZ, is Rich The Kid, who was reportedly paid a $100,000 advance in October 2018 to promote Fashion Nova on social media and in a song. Fashion Nova is now suing Rich for $2.1 million in damages for breach of contract and making false promises after he avoided posting anything Fashion Nova-related on social media for almost two years. Of course, this pretty much falls in line with what we now know to be Rich’s M.O.; the Queens, New York (by way of Atlanta, Georgia) rapper has been subject to a veritable pile-on of lawsuits in the past year thanks to neglecting his legal obligations and failing to pay just about anyone any amount he owes.
The “Plug Walk” rapper was sued by his management company for $3.5 million, sued by his jeweler for an unpaid $250,000 tab, and sued by his landlord for over $300,000 in unpaid rent. Meanwhile, Fashion Nova is also currently chasing Tekashi 69 for $2.25 million after he got locked up two weeks into his deal with the brand. Perhaps Fashion Nova should stick with tried-and-true partners like Cardi B, whose lines with the brand sold-out in a matter of hours, one of them netting over $1 million in profits (which they partnered again to give away during the pandemic).