For years, it seemed like every week there was a new celebrity launching a fashion line. Well that trend appears to be over, according to WWD.
With the recession showing no signs of ending anytime soon, retailers are looking very closely at which lines they are willing to carry and they are making cuts. Celebrity brands just aren't selling like they used to, with some notable exceptions.
[Mandy] Moore closed her Mblem contemporary T-shirt line, [Paris] Hilton is seeking a new apparel licensee after an unsuccessful run with Dollhouse in the U.S., Anchor Blue shut down The Hills star Heidi Montag's Heidiwood line after just a year and Lauren Conrad closed her contemporary sportswear line in favor of developing a less expensive brand for Kohl's. Most recently, Lopez closed Sweetface along with all of her JLO by Jennifer Lopez apparel business in the U.S.
Celebrity apparel lines hit a peak a few years ago, and now that there are so many on the market, consumers are tired, said Jane Buckingham, who founded the research firm Youth Intelligence and left to start the Trendera consultancy.
"They were feeling saturated with everyone having a line," she said. "It became not special anymore."
Although the public's interest in the famous remains, people "want to read about them and listen to their music. It's just that it's not about just one big celebrity anymore — it's all about a mix," Buckingham said.
She said she sees more celebrities taking a backseat with their brands. "This is a generation of young people that has a little bit of humility, and they really don't like when people are self-obsessed," she said. "They like that Gwen's line is not all about Gwen [Stefani].
Experts say that celebrity lines that aren't named after the celebrity (like Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B.) are doing better in the U.S. than those named directly after the celebrity (fragrance is an exception to this rule, they say). Paris Hilton's lines of shoes, bedding, lingerie and clothing all sell well in Europe. In the U.S., her shoes and fragrances sell very well, while her clothing line has faltered. As a result, executives may rename the U.S. clothing brands.
We'll say this for Paris: she really promotes her lines. We are so tired of reading about lawsuits against starlets and pop stars who sign on to "design" a jewelry line or fashion line and then get sued when they don't wear or promote the items. Paris actually wears her items and makes sure she gets photographed wearing them. She talks about her shoes, her fragrances and her latest ventures every time she's in front of a camera. That's one reason so many of her lines are doing well.
