Mariah Carey made a flying visit to London yesterday after signing a lucrative deal to become the new face of a designer fashion label.

The singer was mobbed by a large crowd, all shouting her name and taking photographs, when she arrived for the launch of the campaign at the Pinko clothing store in Knightsbridge.

Carey said she was a big fan of the Italian clothing brand and said she was 'really flattered' to be asked to be the face of its new advertising campaign.

The 36-year-old, who flew in from New Mexico where she is filming the independent movie Tennessee, also waded into the size zero debate which has dominated London Fashion Week.

She said: 'I don't think anyone should be banned from anything. There should not be a precedent. That cannot work if you are naturally a size zero.

'As long as it's not leading people to do harmful things to themselves to achieve that then it's fine.'

When Carey visited the Brompton Road store yesterday she was wearing a pair of specially made Pinko jeans worth around £3,000. Asimilar design will be available in its stores.

Although there is no exact figure for Carey's contract with the label, a spokeswoman said: 'It's a very, very big deal.'

Pinko's president Pietro Negra said the company had searched for 'not only a beautiful woman, but a musical artist, because music is the greatest channel of communication'.

Carey is following in the footsteps of supermodels Elle Macpherson, Eva Herzigova and Naomi Campbell who have also been faces for Pinko.