EXCLUSIVE: Rita Ora Teams Up With Primark for Multiseason Fashion Collaboration
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Rita Ora, the British singer-songwriter, has teamed with Dublin-based international retailer Primark to launch a multiseason fashion collaboration.
Named Rita Ora x Primark, the line represents Primark’s first-ever international collaboration and reflects Ora’s personal style from day to night, all at affordable prices.
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The first collection will land in all 432 Primark stores in Europe and the U.S., beginning Sept. 19. It consists of 169 pieces across knitwear, denim, tailoring, casualwear and outerwear, along with accessories and shoes. Prices range from $5 for a hair clip to $70 for a wool blend coat. Within that range, clothing starts at $5, footwear is $20, and outerwear is $28. Sizes go from XXS to XXL.
The news follows a weekend of speculation sparked by Primark’s window blackout across its entire store fleet.
“I’m really excited about this actually. This is a very emotional, incredibly passionate project of mine that we’ve been working really hard on for the past 10-plus months,” said Ora in a telephone interview Monday afternoon. “Primark has incredible plans for the American market, and it’s a really great time.”
Last December Primark, which is owned by Associated British Foods, brought its sharp-value, high-volume fashion format to downtown Brooklyn with the opening of a three-level unit inside the City Point mixed-used development. The company, which has 21 stores in the U.S. including Boston; Danbury, Conn., and Burlington, Mass., plans to have 60 stores operating in the U.S. by 2026.
Ora said Primark has been part of her DNA as long as she can remember. “Growing up in London, it was always the most trusting friend to have for a kid like myself who can’t afford all the incredible items of clothes.” She said she met Primark chief executive officer Paul Marchant at a party and was talking about her history and asking a lot of questions.
“It was a meeting of minds in terms of what I wanted to do around accessibility, around fashion. His team understood the style of clothes I wanted to create — classic, trend focused, pieces you can have in your wardrobe for a long time that you can mix from day to night-time. The aim was to provide exciting pieces for people like me who want to experiment and have fun with fashion all year round,” she said. She said she wanted to design pieces that people can treasure for a long time.
The collection was codesigned by Primark and Ora, alongside emerging London-based designer Jawara Alleyne, and styled by Ora’s stylist Pippa Atkinson. It spans a “day to night” theme, reflecting many of Ora’s favorite looks, with each piece styled to reflect a range of personalities, trends and styles, from casual everyday essentials to statement evening looks. Casualwear items, including hoodies and T-shirts, also feature symbols personal to Ora, and references to her recently released album, “You & I.”
Primark has a special meaning to Ora, who grew up visiting the retailer with her parents as a child through making teenage trips with friends to her local Primark in Hammersmith, West London. Her feelings have evolved into a long-standing love for Primark and how it enables shoppers to access quality style on any budget.
“Throughout my life, I have always wanted to look stylish, and when I was younger, I couldn’t have done that without Primark. I could always stretch my budget with so many great pieces from Primark. Honestly, that is really when I learned how to get creative and play with fashion. Creating this collection with Primark has been very nostalgic for me, and I can’t wait for the world to see it,” she added.
Over the past year Ora and Primark worked together to develop the collection, with Ora being involved at every stage of the process, from design through to the making of the collection. Ora also spent time getting to know Primark behind the scenes and visited the retailer’s Sustainable Cotton Program in India, which they’ve incorporated into some of the pieces. That program trains cotton farmers to use less water and fewer chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It also allows the farmers to increase their profits by adopting more sustainable methods.
Ora said the design team taught her the logic behind the collection. She explained her ideas and they helped her bring them to life. “It was a massive learning curve for me in the best way. We hired Jawara, a young, fresh designer. I wanted to bring a new outlook to this collection for years to come. This isn’t a one-off collection at all. It’s a multiseason partnership,” she said.
“I have always depended on Primark, even to this day, for my shows,” she said. “I think what they’ve done and how they’ve navigated the idea of the lifestyle of being that trusted friend and still delivering fashion at an affordable price, but at the same time it was more than that for me.”
She recalled when her mother had breast cancer, and post-surgery, all her lingerie was purchased at Primark. “There’s a lot of heart behind it in my opinion,” she said.
Ora noted that Primark “has never jumped in this deep with anyone before.”
“We both kind of come in fresh, hot, excited and motivated,” she said.
Describing her aesthetic, Ora said the collection has a lot of personal touches and “is very simple, easy, glamorous, elevated, but very clean and chic.” She said the first collection is very easy to wear, night and day, and can be worn to work and after work. “I just wanted an all-functioning clothing line basically,” she said. “It’s a one-stop shop.”
Primark doesn’t have an e-commerce business, so the line will only be available in its brick-and-mortar stores. The company launched a trial Click & Collect service in the U.K. last year with the aim of giving customers additional ways to shop and using new channels to support the in-store experience.
Asked who the customer is for collection, Ora said, “Honestly, I think she’s ageless. She’s just a very hard-working, determined, realistic woman.”
Among her favorite pieces is the blazer she was wearing. She said there are a few suits that are sexy and chic and there are very useful T-shirts and basics. “There are so many fun, little pieces,” she said.
Plans call for an autumn/winter collection, which will drop in two parts, and they’ll do the same for spring/summer.
Asked if she’ll wear the line when she performs, she said, “Yes, definitely.” She said she’s started wearing some of the pieces secretly, “and some of my fans have already picked up on it. They’ll write, ‘Is that Primark?’ Good eye! My fan base is from that world. I’m from that world. My background is from that world. I didn’t grow up with a lot. That’s kind of my language….looking good’s not that much. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
Ora is no stranger to the fashion world. In 2014 she did a designer collaboration for Adidas Originals, and has also collaborated with Tezenis on a capsule lingerie collection. She has co-designed a shoe collection with the Italian footwear designer Giuseppe Zanotti, and co-designed a capsule collection for Escada.
“I’ve done one-off things, but this is the first time we’ve done something with such a big commitment,” she said.
Ora said she’s always wanted to be a fashion designer. “In my head, I always thought I was one,” she said. “It’s something I’ve loved ever since I can remember. I respect the process of fashion. Going to fashion shows was always such a highlight for me when I get invited to them. This morning going to Michael Kors was unbelievable. It was so stunning. It was the first time I’ve ever been to a Michael Kors show, and in New York, it feels like it’s a must. For me, he’s like the DNA of New York Fashion Week for so many reasons.”
Jermaine Lapwood, director of future trends and innovation at Primark, said, “In a world of collaboration overload, it’s more important than ever for brand partnerships to be rooted in genuine authenticity and connection. We’ve known Rita to be a Primark fan for a long time, but it was only when we ran into her almost two years ago and got chatting that we realized the extent of her love for the brand. The instant chemistry between both parties was undeniable, and today, following months of collaboration, I’m so proud to be revealing Rita Ora x Primark.”
An ad campaign featuring Ora was photographed in Trelick Tower and around Golborne Road in West London, an area that Ora has called home for the last 15 years.
As for her singing career, Ora’s new album, “You & I,” was the highest new entry from a female act in the U.K. Official Albums Chart, debuting at No. 6, and landed the No. 1 spot on the U.K. Official Independent Albums Chart.
In addition to her singing career, Ora has several brand partnership in key sectors. In 2019, she launched the award-winning Prospero Tequila alongside Concecuh Brands and currently serves as chief creator partner. In addition, in 2022, she founded her sustainable activewear brand, Humans Being, where she is chief creative officer. She has numerous film and TV credits and will soon star opposite Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro in the upcoming film “Tin Soldier” and will join Brandy in the “Descendants” sequel, “The Rise of Red,” on Disney+.
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