Whether you sit front row during fashion week or peruse the aisles at Wal-Mart, you can find fashion lines from your favorite musicians. A lá The Olsens (pre-The Row and Elizabeth & James), Miley Cyrus is debuting her designer skills at Wal-Mart and has enlisted Max Azria of Hervé Léger and BCBG Max Azria, to co-design the line. Taylor Swift is also coming out with her own line for Wal-Mart. Designer duds at a discount? Target and H&M have been doing this for years. With so many singer/designer lines, how do you know which ones are legit?
Fret no more my fashion friends, I have found the best (and worst) musicians who also dabble in fashion.
L.A.M.B.
Gwen remains true to her romantic-rocker musical motif. Her line is named after her first-ever solo album, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, brilliantly tying her music to her designs. The line stands the test of time, as most celeb-turned-designer lines fizzle (think Heidi Montag’s Heidiwood line for Blue Anchor), L.A.M.B. has been thriving for the past five years, and recently launched its 2009 Fall/Winter collection. From plaid tops, cropped jackets, billowy pants, to nude jumpers, this musically-inspired line is not to be missed.
Kanye West for Louis Vuitton
This may have been the most hyped up shoe line debut since the classic white Converse high-top, but Kanye delivers on his fashion promise. Even before the sneakers hit the stores, they were already sold-out. Perhaps this was due to the highly anticipated launch or the provocative advertising campaigns Kanye did with his model-girlfriend, Amber Rose. Either way, his marketing scheme worked and this lyrical master has mastered the art of beautiful shoe design.
Pete Wentz’s Clandestine Industries
Pete’s collection is just as cool, hip and metrosexual as he is. The collection includes unisex clothes as well as men, women, and kids sizes . This über-laid-back line includes printed tees, hoodies, socks, backpacks, cell phone skins, and more. The line is eco-friendly, uses organic fabrics, and is reasonably priced. Clandestine Industries even collaborated with DKNY Jeans.
J.Lo and Sweetface
Jennifer Lopez may be Jenny from the block, but her lines’ creativity is road-blocked. Both lines fall prey to the stereotypical pitfalls of urban fashion lines: lots of glitz and glam, but poorly manufactured. The materials are cheap, and the design concepts are lackluster. Sweetface is on hold as J. Lo’s camp scrambles to find a new direction for the wayward brand. Take a cue from reputable lines like Jay-Z’s Rocawear and Kimora Lee Simmons’ Baby Phat that possess just the right combination of bling and ingenuity with the perfect splash of class.
Mblem
Who even knew Mandy Moore had a clothing line? The line looks geared toward teens going through their awkward stage. Clothes are supposed to help us through our teeny-bopper years, not make us look dumpy. Mandy if you are listening: hire Kanye’s PR team, take some design lessons from Gwen, and add some personality to your line, like Pete.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
