what's in a name

What’s in a Name?
Uncovering the world of celebrity fashion designers

It’s hard to walk the streets today and not see the image of a celebrity. Whether you’re at the news stand, walking down the street, shopping in a mall or just staring at someone’s t-shirt, you’re bound to see a celebrity. It’s getting harder and harder to determine what’s authentic with these numerous celebrity endorsements. The latest craze is the ever popular celebrity clothing line. What makes these clothing lines so special, and how can they be compared that of “non-celebrity”?
When an average person decides to choose fashion not only a career but as a way a life, they invest their all. When a celebrity decides to make a fashion a side a project, they invest what can seem like pocket change to have their line instantly in over fifty retail chains. We could boycott celebrity these brands completely, but how much damage would that actually cause? Probably more than you’d think. These celebrities employ hundreds of people within their empires, even designers to produce their good. These celebrity clothing lines can often be a stepping stone for an aspiring designer, creating a credibility that a personal line would never be able to accomplish. However, these lines also flood an already over crowded market, making it that much harder for talent to reach the mainstream.
The lines seem to get blurred on what exactly is a celebrity clothing line. It seems just about anybody in the media can slap their name on a pair of jeans or a t-shirt and call it fashion. Do any of these celebrities actually design their own clothes? It seems to vary from star to star, not only on how their clothing is designed, but who their brand is marketed to. Celebrity “designers” like Jessica Simpson tackle footwear and accessories, while Jennifer Lopez has put her name on a lingerie line. Even Britney Spears and Paris Hilton both lend their names to fragrances. It used to be that only someone of great talent and status could put their name on a product, for example: Elizabeth Taylor on perfume. Now almost any D-List star has some sort of product, the most popular being of course, the celebrity clothing line. From reality star to Oscar winning celeb, just about everyone has their own clothing line.
Very few celebrities control all aspects of their own lines. Lines like L.A.M.B by Gwen Stefani and Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons are just another thing these celebrity’s can put their names on. Neither Stefani nor Kimora Lee can credit themselves for the design aspect of their collections. Both companies’ employ someone for every level of production- from the initial design, to the final sewn garment. However Kimora Lee and Stefani both have final say on what is or is not put into production. These lines not only bring in profit they can also be a credit to an artist’s image. Lines like 50 Cent’s G Unit can also just be a major cash cow. Just another thing a celebrity can put their name on and wait for the money to roll in.
There are some celebrities that claim to oversee all of their company’s endeavors, including their fashion lines. P. Diddy’s line Sean John estimates that forty-two billion dollars is spent by teenagers each year on his personal line. While P. Diddy does employ several designers, he can also be credited for most of the initial concept for his clothing, and has been embraced by the fashion industry because of this. Artists like Beyonce also claim to have complete control over their personal lines. Her line House of Dereon was started by her and mother just over 3 years ago and is already sold all over Canada and the U.S- A process that could take any other unknown designer years, if not a lifetime.
Global brands like H&M employ guest designers. Their list of celebrity designers includes Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Victor and Rolf and Madonna. These lines prove to be highly profitable, often selling out in one day, but also provide that celebrity look at a fraction of what you might pay for a celebrity’s personal clothing line.
Celebrities like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and Hilary Duff have also cashed in on the lower priced market, with their focus in the children’s division. Big box stores, Zellers and Wal Mart carry both of their lines; Stuff by Hilary Duff, and Mary Kate & Ashley by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Because of the overall mass of Wal Mart and Zeller’s these lines have spread all over the world. They even branch off into smaller lines like; shoes, bags, make-up, fragrance and even dolls. Could they ever be stopped? Not only have these girls become icons to their young market, they also make millions off of them. Dualstar Entertainment, the Olsen’s personal enterprise, estimates that in the upcoming years, Mary Kate and Ashley’s clothing line will bring in over one billion dollars worth of revenue, based on the lines previous sales. The market’s continue to get younger and younger while the revenue’s continue to get larger and larger. Have veteran celebrity’s missed the boat? Or simply did they miss the mass market?
The trend doesn’t seem likely to fade away anytime soon, as long as there’s a market, there will forever be celebrity clothing lines. What’s next? We already have celebrities endorsing clothing, accessories, home appliances, cars, shoes, cell phones, fragrance, credit cards and furniture. What else can celebrities put their names on? Maybe next year you’ll receive a birthday card from the Paris Hilton collection, or a tooth brush with George Clooney’s face on it. Only time will tell…