Supermodel and actress Amber Valletta is launching
her own clothing line called Amber Valletta for Monrow.
The 35-year-old model and actress is collaborating with the Los Angeles-based Monrow contemporary sportswear brand to launch her own apparel collection, which is called Amber Valletta for Monrow. The line will launch at retail in November and will be shown to buyers at the upcoming Intermezzo trade show in New York.
"I never thought about designing at all," Valletta said. "If anything, maybe I would have done some kind of a children's line because I love shopping with my son."
Valletta said when she was introduced to Monrow's founding designers, Michelle Wenke and Megan George, through mutual friends, the connection was clear and she knew she wanted to work with them in some capacity. The result, she said, is a full collection of contemporary sportswear that includes tissue-thin T-shirts and tanks for easy layering; day dresses that easily can be dressed up for evening events; a romper (which Valletta said she insisted upon adding since she "lives in them"); a classic tailored blazer; a fleece printed hoodie; a cape accented with fringe detail, and a smoking jacket. There are also two scarves in the line.
Wenke said the color palette of navy, cream, black, light gray and pale blush with accents of silver and gold are meant to be subdued, so the details in the clothing stand out. The collection wholesales from $65 to $80, with the occasional higher-end item, which would wholesale for about $600.
"I'm not interested in making clothes that are not accessible," Valletta said. "Sometimes it feels like it hurts when you make a big purchase, so I really believe that the more expensive things should be gems that you keep in your closet, not trends."
Amber is, of course, very thin and it was interesting that she made sure to point out that she knows how to make clothing that will look good on different figure types: "I have discovered that I have an aesthetic and a point of view, and I do know what looks good on different bodies."
We like the concept of the collection and the palette, although it might be best if the truck containing the prototype for the rompers gets mysteriously get lost on the way to the first fashion show.
Amber is already hard at work on next season's collection. Her next film release is The Spy Next Door, which stars Jackie Chan, George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus.
