Oh man. Will the celebrity-turned-designer cycle ever stop? Or at least slow down? Everyday this week, Women’s Wear Daily has reported YET another celebrity-designer collaboration, which is beginning to make my skin crawl. Must every actress try her hand at designing (and I use that term loosely here) a capsule collection? The only capsule I am interested is one that can be washed down with fluids and alter my reality. But the new reality world of celebrity designers is like living in Bizarro World. We now have Sarah Jessica Parker heading up the Halston legacy (click link for yesterday’s IMW story on Halston). He must be turning in his grave. Now Jessica Simpson is in cahoots with Jones New York and you know Snooki can’t be too far behind with a capsule collection for Ed Hardy. Yikes. My biggest point is that Bette Davis would have never taken to designing schmattas in her down time. Surely, these celebrities must be impacting the businesses of real designers. Am I the only one who is annoyed by this?
Recently, a critical 13th annual WWD Retail/Apparel CEO Summit was held to share the challenges facing the business. At that Summit, the conversation was an honest moment of shared sensibilities. Donna Karan was intelligently trying to determine the best way to engage the customer again. Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo talked about adjusting how much product is available in-store to create the urgency to buy now…again. Meaningful, wonderful ideas, bandied about including the decision to have another Fashions Night Out, (Anna Wintour‘s baby) which is only once a year. Now comes a throng of celebrity-come-latelies into the fashion and jewelry business at lightning speed to muck things up. An overview of the starring line up:
Molly Sims is doing a jewelry line. Do you think she is painstaking putting each jewel onto each strand of gold by hand? Okideer.
Or do you think Alicia Keys, between amazing albums and looking stunning took a silversmith class and hammers every little piece by hand when she is not practicing the piano? Fotz.
Like being perfect isn't enough? You need to do a jewelry line too? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are at least giving it all to charity. From that vantage point, I can let it go. But I would really like to know a year from now what Asprey actually donates in cash to their cause to justify all this Hollywood boogaloo.
"Ooooh, mommy, please buy me a Michelle Trachtenberg necklace?" What? I just can't even make this stuff up. And Coach no less? Who is the customer for this collection? Can someone throw me a line? I am drowning in celebrity designers.
Nicole Richie is busy as a bee designing maternity clothing, her signature collection for House of Harlow and now comes a jewelry collection for Bebe. At least this is her overall business, and she's cool. But if I see her in another reality show anytime soon, then I will take this all back.
Duh, of course the Kardashian Sisters are getting into the game. Are you kidding me? They ain't Keeping Up With The Kardashians for nothing.
Which reminds me. When are those friggen Real Housewives going to come out with a line of dish towels, or red carpet dresses, seeing that they spend so much of their time doing that kind of stuff. You know that's just around the corner. Some sad group of women would buy all that stuff. My guess is a "sadder, softer side of Sears."
Endnote: These are just the newbies that we can add to the list that already exists including:
Avril Lavigne, don’t even start with me.
Cheryl Crow, seriously?
Nicki Hilton, is that still so?
Jessica Simpson, CFDA here we come.
Eve, no comment.
Gwen, luv hu, but prefer her music career.
Lauren Conrad, who will inspire the Real Housewives.
Mandy Moore, no comment.
Penelope Cruz, Oy!
Jennifer Lopez, is that still happening?
Whitney Port (every piece a must-have)
Victoria Beckham, or is it Roland Mouret?
Seriously, could Moncler be surprised that their Thom Browne Circque du Soleil costumes didn't sell? Or maybe I'm wrong and there's a huge niche for avant garde apres-ski wear …what do I know?
Hahahahaha. Victoria Beckham's collection is a carbon copy of Roland Mouret — both pretty fierce though.
If I'm not mistaken…Roland designed her collection. Fotz.
I have a video from the Paris Hilton movie on my website. To bad it got leeched onto the net for everyone to look at. She did not want it to be released as it was her ex Rick Salomon that lost it.
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Some of the images are not showing properly but I think that might be noscript, the web site still looks good. I have been coming to this blog for a few weeks now and i’m really impressed with the content. What is the rss feed address?
good