Spend it on Beckham is the new cool
Without vision and creativity, forays into the fashion industry are doomed for failure, writes Sophie Donaldson
EVERYONE is entitled to a change of career — but when that person happens to be famous and the pivot is into fashion, expect the claws to come out.
This is not to be confused with the ‘celebrity collaborations’ that flood the high street: Kate Moss for Topshop, Alexa Chung for M&S, Gigi Hadid for Tommy Hilfiger and Rihanna for Puma. No, this is an audacious celebrity taking on the mantle of designer — not collaborator — while being woefully underqualified for the job. The industry tends to take umbrage with such endeavours, and rightly so.
The journey from broke student to even broker designer is long and unrewarding. The glamour of fashion week is superseded by the day-today running of a fledgling business in an overcrowded industry. No wonder the fash pack gets a bit snarky when an actress — who really likes gingham — considers herself one of them.
Mostly, these ventures stink of endorsement and are guffawed at by the industry. No matter how earnest the actress/model/singer is, it’s difficult for anybody to take them seriously, especially when the likes of Lindsay Lohan take on the likes of luxury house Emanuel Ungaro. Her tenure lasted just a single season in 2009, and the nipple pasties she sent down the runway of the hallowed Parisian house remained etched in the memory of the aghast editors sitting front row.
Lohan was probably the very worst choice for the job, not least because she doesn’t appear to have an ounce of personal style. Gwen Stefani, on the other hand, managed to leverage her good looks and tomboy-in-Harajuku aesthetic for her commercially successful brand L.A.M.B.
But fashion cred does not make a designer, as Sarah Jessica Parker discovered when she was named chief creative officer of American luxury label Halston Heritage in 2010. Although the Sex and the City costumes were the brilliant work of costume designer Patricia Field, SJP became a default fashion icon for carrying off the many weird and wonderful looks of Carrie Bradshaw. Unfortunately the ability to wear a kooky hat is not quite the same skill set required to head up a team of designers — and she quietly exited the role just over a year later.
The weight of celebrity can carry a brand for only so long. Without vision and creativity these forays into fashion are doomed for failure; with a handful of exceptions, of course.
The Olsen twins were famous before they could even speak, taking turns playing infant Michelle Tanner in sitcom Full House. They spent their childhood and adolescence starring in countless television shows and movies before an abrupt makeover in the mid 2000s.
They latched onto the ‘hobo-chic’ look, a raggedy cast off from the ‘boho-chic’ look popularised by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The Olsens’s aesthetic largely consisted of too-big sweaters, shawls so oversized they resembled duvets artfully draped over a shoulder and a large cup of Starbucks (to sip from, not collect coins in), all accessorised with a dour facial expression.
The twins already had a fashion and beauty line for girls but their first serious fashion conquest was the launch of their luxe brand The Row. Founded in 2006, it was fawned over by fashion and famous types. If there were any residual sniggers at the child stars turned couturiers, they were firmly snuffed out with the news that their cult crocodile backpack, debuted in 2011, was the first item to sell out — with a price tag of $39,000.
Closer to home, Pippa O’Connor is enjoying success with her denim line POCO. I road-tested the various styles for an online review for this newspaper and can confirm that yes, they are very good jeans. The classic comfy styles have proved a hit, so much so that the e-tail brand is currently operating a bricks and mortar pop-up shop.
Just last week, Victoria Beckham (former pop singer, now serious designer) was awarded an OBE for her contribution to the fashion industry, as well as her charity work. After launching her eponymous line in 2008, the 43-year-old was goaded by unbelievers who didn’t think it possible for her to create something that was original and well, any good.
Posh has gained wellearned praise from the industry for her sleek, contemporary aesthetic. She cannily uses her own celebrity to subtly promote her brand, slinking around in a multitude of louche, cooler-than-thou ensembles that drape particularly well on her skinny, and much-papped, frame.
If a thumbs up from HRH wasn’t enough, her recent diffusion line for Target in the US was quickly snapped up by the ordinary folk who are unlikely to pay the quadruple figures for a dress from her mainline collection. With many items selling out within days, it seems the people have spoken — Victoria Beckham is officially a serious designer.