WHY SO MANY STARS ARE LAUNCHING BRANDS
EVA LONGORIA, TIA MOWRY, DOMINIQUE FISHBACK AND FREIDA PINTO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS OUTSIDE SHOWBIZ
FO R T W O D E C A D E S , tequila brands courted Eva Longoria to promote their products or launch her own line. And for a long time, the “Desperate Housewives” alum was adamant about saying no. ¶ “They’re like, you’ve gotta do a tequila. You’re Mexican,” Longoria told The Times. “I didn’t really drink it back in the day, and I didn’t want to put my name on something that I didn’t authentically like or consume.” ¶ Then came the pandemic, she said, “and COVID drove me to cocktails.” For the first time, Longoria found herself drawn to the taste and “the art” of tequila. ¶ Longoria’s tequila awakening arrived at an opportune moment for Casa Del Sol, which impressed her with its “smooth,” Cognac-barrel-aged drinks. ¶ The actor-director-producer has since joined the company as a co-founder, and she’s among a rapidly growing contingent of actors who are also entrepreneurs, juggling their film and TV projects with business endeavors outside Hollywood. ¶ “It’s a lot of work,” Longoria said, “but I really enjoy the work.” ¶ Pioneering celebrity businesswomen such as Jessica Alba (the Honest Co.), Iman (Iman Cosmetics), Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop) and Beyoncé (Ivy Park) have opened the floodgates in recent years for more performers to branch out and embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys.
Nearly 60% of all celebrity brands — spanning beauty and cosmetics, apparel and footwear, wellness, home goods and other retail sectors — were founded in the last six years, and more than a third of modern celebrity brands were launched in 2020 or later, according to a report published in September by JLL Research. Actors make up the biggest group of retail business owners in the entertainment industry, the study found.
“In some ways, it maybe is a little surprising that it didn’t happen sooner,” Olav Sorenson, chair of entrepreneurial studies at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, said about performers starting their own businesses. “There’s obviously a lot of power in celebrity endorsements. Why not endorse your own products?”
Though the practice of actors leveraging their fame to sell a product is nothing new (dating back to the 1800s) and working actors have traditionally supplemented their income with side jobs to stay solvent — especially during the recent Hollywood strikes — a significant number of performers are now launching their own brands instead of endorsing or partnering with existing companies.
Sorenson said the idea of building a business from the ground up is attractive to actors seeking creative autonomy. It also solves what Sorenson called the “potential problem” of attaching one’s name to a company that may misbehave or a product that may have quality issues that are out of the actor’s control.
Plus, there’s a bigger cut for talent with a higher stake in a profitable business.
“Why should the celebrity be willing to take a few 100,000 or maybe even a few million dollars for their endorsement, when they’re responsible for the success of the product?” he said. “By taking on a little bit of risk ... they potentially own 60, 70, 80% or more of the product.”
Creative control was especially important to actor Tia Mowry when founding 4U, a hair-care line for textured hair. The “Sister, Sister” alum recalled not being permitted to make certain recipes while hosting her Food Network show “Tia Mowry at Home” that “didn’t speak to” the network’s audience. Now, Mowry has the freedom to cater to her own audience through her webseries “Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix” and 4U.
“When you’re working for someone, you’re boxed in,” Mowry said.
“For me to have my own brand ... I am able to make decisions that I know my audience will like,” which has led to greater success, she added.
In addition to providing more creative license, actor Dominique Fishback said running her own business has allowed her to operate on her timeline.
“Sometimes when we wait for a partnership, or wait for somebody else to give the go-ahead or to agree to come on board, it holds up whatever it is that you wanted to do,” the “Swarm” star said. “And so I thought, ‘Let me just do it now.’ ”
Fishback kick-started her business — an online journal and apparel shop called Be Yourself, Love — earlier this year with the help of her loved ones. The idea first took shape at singer Billie Eilish’s 21st birthday party. During the event, Fishback admired the “Bad Guy” hitmaker’s custom party favors — T-shirts with the phrase, “‘Been a good girl for 21 years’ or something like that” — created with the support of her parents and brother, music producer Finneas O’Connell. Fishback thought to herself, “I could do that,” and began recruiting a “home team” composed of her uncle and close friends.
She made a conscious decision to go into business with people who “cared about the brand and the mission, but cared about the person more.”
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen or how big it’s gonna get,” Fishback said. “I really do want it to be a movement. But you have to start somewhere.”
So far, Fishback has designed roughly a dozen pieces — including jackets, sweatshirts, bucket hats and notebooks — that are made and shipped to order. All of her products bear the advice of one of her friends: “Be yourself, love.”
The BYL logo, in her mother’s handwriting, matches a tattoo near Fishback’s wrist — there for reassurance during stressful moments in her burgeoning career.
“What I remember to tell myself is: If I am myself, and I am love, then it doesn’t matter if I make a mistake,” Fishback said. “It’s like, ‘Be yourself ’ ... and calling the person ‘Love.’ But then also, ‘Be yourself. Be love.’ ”
Paul Yoo, head of ventures and licensing at United Talent Agency, said the starting point for all of their clients who want to launch a business is passion. Typically, talent will approach Yoo’s team with an idea, having already “deeply thought about where their creative efforts can live in another medium.”
Then, the agency helps them bring their idea to fruition by providing them with the practical tools they need to run their business, as well as access to experts who can “handle the execution of their vision,” Yoo said.
A key part of that process, Yoo explained, is identifying a “reason to exist” — or a void in the marketplace that the talent can fill — and analyzing what competitors are already doing in that space, in order to give their client’s brand a better chance to succeed.
The “reason to exist” factor was top of mind for Mowry when developing 4U. After making “the big chop” (cutting relaxed and/or chemically processed hair in order to regrow it) and embarking on her natural hair journey in 2012, the “Twitches” star struggled to find products that met her specific needs.
Living with endometriosis, Mowry tries to be “conscious and aware” of what she puts into her body to mitigate potential complications, such as infertility. So she sought hair-care products that claimed to use “allnatural ingredients” — only to discover through her own research that wasn’t really the case.
Enter Mowry’s 4U, billed as a textured curl care line for type 2A to 4C hair that uses sustainable ingredients, from rosemary and sea moss to flaxseed and watermelon extract.
In addition to working directly with scientists to develop formulas that were “natural and safe and clean,” Mowry was heavily involved in the branding process for 4U. For example, she came up with the idea to display the “star ingredient” on the front of the bottle so customers could make more informed decisions about what they were putting in their hair.
“I wanted to make this line accessible,” Mowry said. “I’m passionate about everybody having the right to have access to healthy, clean, good products.”
Organic ingredients and product transparency were also priorities for actor Freida Pinto, co-founder of Rookie Wellness — a U.S.-made line of vegan protein powder and nutritional supplements free of sugar, soy and gluten. As a business partner, the “Slumdog Millionaire” star is among the first to test new products for Rookie Wellness and offer feedback that is incorporated into the final version. Pinto was concerned that one particular Rookie Wellness product — Wake, a fruity energy supplement meant to be taken in the morning — tasted too sweet. Adjustments were made, and Wake is now the company’s most popular item.
ACCORDING toBen Enowitz, head of investments and talent ventures at William Morris Endeavor, it’s common for actor-entrepreneurs to take a hands-on approach to “product formulation” — which can encompass anything from tastetesting to packaging and design. Lately, he said, talent has gotten particularly involved in retail distribution — or determining where their products are sold.
Yoo said talent involvement can entail weekly creative discussions, talking to retail partners, throwing events and other “back-end work” that is essential to keeping their business afloat.
“There is no detachment from this type of work versus the type of work that they do in their day to day,” Yoo said. “In order to make it successful, they have to be all in.”
Top Hollywood talent agencies, such as WME and UTA, have recently created entire departments devoted to supporting their clients’ entrepreneurial activities and ambitions.
Since WME instituted its talent ventures department about six years ago, the team has grown from zero to 10 staffers whose workload ballooned from a couple of deals to 20 to 40 deals per year. UTA, which launched its ventures division seven years ago, has also seen a sustained increase in client demand.
“It’s never been easier to start a company,” Yoo said. “For those that are really thoughtful about building it for the long term, they’ve seen outsize rewards. And as a result of all of those things happening, we’re continuously
seeing a spike in demand.”
Though it’s become increasingly desirable for actors to build their own businesses from scratch, plenty of performers are still choosing to endorse or partner with existing brands, Yoo and Enowitz said. Celebrity-made brands aren’t necessarily replacing celebrity partnerships or endorsements — they’re dovetailing to diversify and fortify actors’ business portfolios.
Enowitz divided his clients’ collaborations with existing brands into two categories: Partnerships with highly profitable, late-stage companies that already have a strong presence in the marketplace, and partnerships with early-stage companies that are looking to expand their revenue, distribution and exposure.
Pinto’s work with Rookie Wellness exemplifies the latter. It was co-founded in 2020 by Roxanne Wise — a friend of Pinto’s husband — who sent them some products as a gift. The “Mr. Malcolm’s List” actor recalled the package just “lying around the house” — until she decided on a whim to take it on a work trip to London.
“Because I was pregnant and working, I just needed something to grab onto so I could eat throughout the day,” Pinto said. “After I finished a whole bag of the protein powder, I literally was like, ‘Who sent this? This is so good.’ ... Protein powders — and especially vegan protein powders — can taste awful, which this one did not.”
Shortly thereafter, Pinto joined Rookie Wellness as a partner and co-founder, hoping her name would help the brand stand out in the crowded wellness space.
“There’s so many things that I’m doing,” Pinto said. “I also have my own [production] company ... I have a household and a little child to take care of. So ... why didn’t I just do the quick and easy thing — which is just do a one-off [post] on social media or join as a brand ambassador?”
“I would feel super guilty pushing something out there that I haven’t even tried, so for me, this is a longterm investment. Health is a longterm investment,” she added.
Longoria cited similar motivations for signing on as a co-founder of Casa Del Sol, a tequila company that aligned with her commitment to uplifting women and the Latino community. (Casa Del Sol’s Jaliscobased distillery is Mexican-owned — something Longoria “didn’t know was rare” until she entered the booming tequila business.)
“The fact that this particular brand was giving back to the region, was Mexican-first, had a lot of women in key positions — I was like that. That is what my brand is all about,” Longoria said.
Longoria knows a thing or two about branding, as Casa Del Sol is far from her only business venture. Last year, the “Young and the Restless” alum launched a line of nontoxic cookware, Risa. She’s also one of several entertainment luminaries backing the L.A. women’s soccer team Angel City FC. But wait, there’s more: Longoria had her own clothing line and owned two restaurants (Beso in Hollywood and SHe steakhouse in Las Vegas, both of which closed after legal obstacles).
Longoria and Mowry hailed fellow actor Alba as an inspirational figure for women in Hollywood who want to break into the business world.
The “Fantastic Four” star’s baby, beauty and cleaning product brand, the Honest Co., made more than $300 million last year, per JLL Research, and reached a major milestone when it went public in 2021.
“What she has built with Honest is something to be applauded,” Longoria said. “And the fact that she’s Latina makes me very proud. She is ... an example to other young, Latina entrepreneurs who look up to her and go, ‘OK, if she did it, I can do it.’ ... You can’t be what you can’t see.”
What makes actors particularly well-suited to launch a business in the digital age is their knack for getting innovative with material, Enowitz said. Similar to how a seasoned performer might riff on a film or TV script, Enowitz explained, they tend to get clever with social media ads and other promotional content for their products.
This phenomenon is especially prevalent in the beauty space, where actor-musicians such as Selena Gomez (Rare Beauty), Rihanna (Fenty Beauty), Lady Gaga (Haus Labs) and Ariana Grande (R.E.M. Beauty) appeal to their fans with makeup-tutorial videos in which they share anecdotes and show off their personalities.
According to JLL Research, beauty is the most popular industry for celebrity retail brands — which could be due to lower production costs and fewer competitors in the market overall than other industries, Sorenson explained.
“I think some of this is a little bit of a trend,” Sorenson said. “You see another celebrity successfully making it with some type of product ... and go out and start your own. It’s also an area ... [where] margins tend to be very large. So you can be very profitable very quickly compared to, say, something in the food space.”
If successful, a brand may also boost a performer’s exposure to the general public.
After examining the trajectories of four leading actor-entrepreneurs — Grande, Issa Rae (Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen and Sienna Naturals), Gabrielle Union (Flawless) and Blake Lively (Betty Buzz) — measurement firm Q Score determined that their name-recognition spiked anywhere from 8% to 66% since launching their respective businesses. (Other factors — such as high-profile film and TV roles — likely also contributed to this trend.)
A celebrity name doesn’t guarantee success. Last month, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s baby product line Hello Bello filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and numerous celebrity restaurants and clothing lines (Natalie Portman’s Té Casan, Mandy Moore’s Mblem, Heidi Montag’s Heidiwood and Britney Spears’ Nyla, to name a few) have failed over the years.
Even the wealthiest celebrity brands — such as the Honest Co. and Goop — have faced controversies and legal woes. Still, actors and other luminaries continue to take the leap of faith in hopes that their business endeavors will not only survive, but thrive in the booming celebrity-brand economy.
“I thought it was important for my community — meaning the diverse community — to see that something like this can be done,” Mowry said. “I wanted to be an example . ... If you have something — a dream, a passion, something on your mind — it can be done.”
[Businesses, from E3] went through with any sale of her company.
In 2021, Frankel launched Forever Young wine — available at online alcohol retailers wine.com and Drizly — with cabernet sauvignon, malbec and sauvignon blanc.
JENNIFER GARNER
Once Upon a Farm
Once upon a time, “Alias” star Jennifer Garner co-founded a baby food business, started by entrepreneurs Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz in 2015. Once Upon a Farm, which made its mark with cold-pressed smoothies and now offers plant-rich baby meals and organic snack bars for the whole family, is sold in more than 13,000 stores nationwide. According to Farmer Jen (as she likes to call herself ), the company seeks “to be an ally to moms.”
Garner, who shares three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck, uses her family farm in Locust Grove, Okla., to supply ingredients — including pumpkins and blueberries — for her food line.
The Clean Label Project-certified brand reportedly was on track to earn $100 million in sales in 2022.
SELENA GOMEZ Rare Beauty
Selena Gomez has come quite a way from her Disney Channel days.
Since her breakout role on “Wizards of Waverly Place,” the Texasraised actor started a music career, became a mental health advocate and launched a makeup line that looks to move past “unrealistic standards of perfection.”
Founded in 2020, Gomez’s Rare Beauty prides itself on 100% vegan and cruelty-free products — appealing to the socially conscious consumer who also wants some subtle glam. The “Only Murders in the Building” actor-executive producer is the most-followed female celebrity on Instagram (430 million followers), meaning there are plenty of eyes on her products — which she promotes herself.
Rare Beauty offers brow gels, lip oils and eyeshadow sticks, but its crown jewel is its $23 liquid blush. In 2022, Rare sold $70 million of blush, Bloomberg reported in July. Gomez’s beauty empire shows no signs of stopping anytime soon; it’s reportedly on track to triple 2022 sales. Additionally, Rare Beauty is a product with a purpose: 1% of all proceeds go to Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund. Rare Impact aims to raise $100 million to help expand access to mental health services and education.
KATE HUDSON Fabletics, King St. Vodka, InBloom
Kate Hudson has been bringing star power to athleisure for 10 years. In 2013, the “Almost Famous” Oscar nominee co-founded Fabletics with TechStyle Fashion Group chief executive officers Adam Goldenberg and Don Ressler, and became the brand’s public face. Fabletics offered a line of activewear, including sports bras, leggings and shorts.
A decade later, Hudson’s Fabletics continues to be among the most popular sportswear brands for women. The brand manages to stay on top of the latest fashion trends, while also broadening its reach. In 2020, Fabletics tapped Kevin Hart to launch its menswear, including a collection of sweatsuits and golf attire. In recent years Fabletics (which had an estimated IPO valuation of $5 billion in 2021) also expanded to offer medical scrubs and shapewear — Lizzo’s line Yitty.
Beyond Fabletics, Hudson launched liquor company King St. Vodka in 2019 and InBloom supplements the following year — all while juggling her popular podcast “Sibling Revelry” with brother Oliver Hudson.
KYLIE JENNER Kylie Cosmetics, Khy
Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics is a real moneymaker — and that’s not just lip (kit) service.
Like mom Kris Jenner and her older Kardashian-Jenner siblings, the reality TV personality created her own brand while starring on E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” At just 18, Jenner officially began Kylie Cosmetics in 2015, with her Kylie Lip Kits comprising liquid lipstick and lip liner.
Launched amid Jenner’s growing Instagram popularity, the first round of Kylie Cosmetics products was a near-instant hit. Jenner swiftly expanded her brand’s reach, introducing an eye shadow palette in 2016, highlighters in 2017 and so on.
Jenner landed a spot on Forbes’ list of richest self-made women in America in 2018. At 20 years old, Jenner had an estimated net worth of $900 million.
Jenner, a mother of two, launched skincare brand Kylie Skin in 2019 and baby-goods line Kylie Baby in 2021. She also unveiled her new clothing line, Khy, on Oct. 24.
In 2020, the Kylie Cosmetics founder sold 51% of her makeup line to Coty Inc., for $600 million, although she’s now exploring taking back ownership.
KIM KARDASHIAN Skims, SKKN
It can get tricky keeping up with Kim Kardashian — reality TV star, shapewear mogul, beauty executive and mother of four young children.
E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” launched Kim and her family into superstardom, but her sights have been set on entrepreneurial success for years. Before Skims, Kim co-founded clothing and accessory line Dash with sisters Khloé and Kourtney, tried her hand at jewelry with Belle Noel, and even dabbled in the tech space with her “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” mobile game.
The road to Kardashian’s billiondollar business empire was bumpy, but co-founding shapewear brand Skims with Emma and Jens Grede in 2019 helped smooth things out.
The brand started out with formfitting basics and underwear, but has since expanded to include loungewear and swimwear — winning over other celebrities in the process. In addition to launching men’s products, the brand was named the official underwear partner of the NBA, the WNBA and USA Basketball on Oct. 30.
Kardashian’s Skims now is valued at $4 billion, the New York Times reported in July. It’s also on track to make $750 million in sales this year. She also launched skincare company SKKN last year, which ultimately will house her now-shuttered cosmetics and perfume lines KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance.
PATTI LABELLE Patti’s Good Life
The “Godmother of Soul” knows how to cook up more than just Grammy-winning tunes. In 2008, 79, turned her love for cooking and comfort food into a lucrative business: Patti’s Good Life.
Patti’s Good Life touts prepackaged goodies, including peach cobbler and macaroni and cheese, and can be found at Walmart and Target. The icing on the cake — er, sweet potato pie? The singer’s food line delivered almost $200 million in gross sales in 2022 alone, according to Forbes.
Ambitious foodies looking to re-create LaBelle’s scrumptious offerings from scratch can check out the singer’s numerous cookbooks.
LADY GAGA Haus Labs by Lady Gaga
For Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs, it’s all about the (p-p-p-poker) face.
In 2018, Lady Gaga stayed true to her penchant for bold looks and created her own line of natural makeup with a focus on sustainability.
Haus Labs, which is available at Sephora and Amazon, offers makeup enthusiasts a lineup of medium coverage foundations and bright multiuse pigment paints. The singer tapped into the clean-beauty revolution to create products that are free of sulfates, environmental toxins, parabens and other “questionable ingredients.”
Women’s Wear Daily reported in 2022 that Haus Labs was expected to generate $45 million to $50 million in sales at Sephora.
EVA LONGORIA Risa, Casa Del Sol
An actor, director, producer and businesswoman, Eva Longoria does it all.
Since breaking out in “The Young and the Restless” in the early 2000s, Longoria has launched businesses as varied as her acting roles. While starring as Gabrielle Solis in ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” Longoria launched her production company, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment (“Gordita Chronicles,” “Grand Hotel”) in 2005.
Longoria also tried her hand at the restaurant business with Beso in Hollywood and the women-focused SHe steakhouse in Las Vegas. Both establishments faced legal challenges and have since shuttered. Like a number of other celebrities, Longoria entered the fashion space with her own clothing line in 2018.
In recent years, however, the “Flamin’ Hot” filmmaker has turned her attention elsewhere: women’s soccer. She is among the many Hollywood stars backing Angel City FC.
Ever the entrepreneur, Longoria launched luxury tequila brand Casa Del Sol in 2021 and nontoxic cookware line Risa last year.
JENNIFER LOPEZ JLo Beauty, Delola
Jennifer Lopez, a longtime multihyphenate, knows a thing or two about juggling careers.
Since toplining “Selena” in 1997 and launching her music career in 1999, the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer has worked to expand her empire with clothing, makeup and fragrances. In 2021, the “Hustlers” star turned her attention to the skincare industry with JLo Beauty.
In addition to skincare, the actorsinger has entered the alcohol business. After turning down opportuniLaBelle,
ties to create vodka and tequila brands, Lopez launched Delola, her line of ready-to-drink cocktails, in April. Delola is available at Whole Foods, BevMo and various liquor stores.
Between JLo Beauty, Delola, acting, singing and sharing a family with husband Ben Affleck, Lopez is also the chief executive of Nuyorican Productions.
SHAY MITCHELL Béis, Onda Tequila
Shay Mitchell has her luggage business in the bag.
In 2018, the “Pretty Little Liars” alum launched Béis, her line of no-frills totes, backpacks and luggage that aims to provide travelers gear and accessories that “wouldn’t break the bank.”
Since launching Béis, Mitchell’s products, including the backpack and the weekender, have landed on numerous “best” lists alongside pricier competitors Away and Monos. According to WWD, Béis reportedly earned more than $120 million in “profitable gross revenue” in March, and is projected to break $200 million in its next fiscal year.
Beyond Béis, the 36-year-old “You” actor also co-founded Onda Tequila, which specializes in flavored seltzers. Mitchell also heads Amore & Vita Productions, which produces Fox’s “The Cleaning Lady.”
GWYNETH PALTROW Goop
From its controversial jade eggs to candles of a certain scent — Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop turns heads and profits.
A decade after her Oscar-winning turn in “Shakespeare in Love,” Paltrow launched Goop in 2008 as a newsletter that mused on mindfulness and promoted a holistic lifestyle. After four years, the brand grew into an online shop that would go on to sell supplements, sex toys, $595 virgin wool sweaters and closet basics from her G. Label. It’s now part of the cultural lexicon.
Goop has faced criticism for selling products and promoting wellness practices that were not backed by science or medicine. In 2018, the brand was fined $145,000 over its jade eggs and the “unsubstantiated” claims that they can improve hormonal and uterine health.
That same year, the New York Times reported Goop was worth $250 million.
Paltrow told Bustle in October that she plans to sell her wellness brand, though she didn’t give a date.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker
To walk a mile in “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker’s shoes, just buy a pair from her multimillion-dollar brand.
Founded in 2014 by Parker and Manolo Blahnik collaborator George Malkemus, SJP boasts a collection of handmade kicks all crafted in Italy by “third and fourth generation Tuscan shoemakers.” With sparkly kitten heels and satin mismatched sandals, SJP evokes Carrie Bradshaw’s beloved Manolos — for about half the price.
While shoes may be SJP’s main attraction, the “And Just Like That ...” actor’s brand also delivers fragrances and partnered with Invivo wines for bottles of sauvignon blanc and French rosé. According to Forbes, SJP reported $25 million in yearly sales in 2020.
DOLLY PARTON Dollywood Parks & Resorts
Dolly Parton knows more than just one way to make a livin’.
The “9 to 5” singer and country music star’s Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., reportedly attracts more than 3 million tourists — and their wallets — every year. Snuggled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Parton’s vacation destination opened its gates in May 1986.
According to its website, Dollywood comprises a main theme park that features carnival rides, the Splash Country water park with numerous slides, and two resorts.
More than 30 years since its grand opening, Dollywood remains a steady stream of income for Parton, 77. Forbes estimated in 2021 that the singer’s 50% stake in Dollywood is worth $165 million — that’s a lot of funnel cakes.
She’s also no stranger to giving back. Earlier this year, Parton — who funded COVID-19 vaccine research — announced that her Imagination Library will expand its efforts to provide California children younger than 5 with free books monthly.
RIHANNA Fenty Beauty, Savage x Fenty
Rihanna has been putting in the work, work, work ever since launching her inclusive cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, in 2017.
The “Diamonds” singer, who just welcomed her second child with rapper ASAP Rocky, has taken a break from releasing new music to continue building her beauty empire. Forbes estimated in 2021 that the singer’s Fenty was worth $2.8 billion, making it the most successful celebrity beauty brand in the world. The line began with makeup basics like foundation and concealer, now available in an impressive 50 shades.
In 2020, Fenty Beauty — which takes its founder’s surname — expanded its lineup to include skincare products including moisturizers, sunscreens and eye creams under its Fenty Skin umbrella.
Earlier this year, Rihanna made her highly anticipated comeback at Super Bowl LVII and brought Fenty Beauty along for the ride. Midway through her halftime show, the singer blotted her nose with her own setting powder, which saw sales skyrocket after the big game.
Beyond Fenty Beauty, the Grammy-winning singer and actor founded lingerie brand Savage x Fenty. In 2022, Forbes reported that the singer’s 30% stake was worth an estimated $270 million.
JESSICA SIMPSON The Jessica Simpson Collection
In the early 2000s Jessica Simpson was seemingly everywhere — including department store shelves.
The “I Wanna Love You Forever” singer and MTV reality star became one of the most notable celebrity business owners of the early aughts with her footwear and clothing line, the Jessica Simpson Collection. The singer’s brand got its start as a collaboration with Nine West cofounder Vince Camuto in 2005.
As the years went on, Simpson expanded her self-named business to include turquoise jewelry, handbags and denim. In 2015, Simpson’s line reportedly reached $1 billion in annual sales. That same year, Simpson also partnered with Sequential Brands to take her business to the next level — or so she thought.
Sequential filed for bankruptcy protection in 2021 and Simpson bought back her company after a two-year battle.
REESE WITHERSPOON Draper James
“Legally Blonde” star Reese Witherspoon is an actor, producer, book club founder and fashion entrepreneur. What, like it’s hard?
After years of charming Hollywood with films including “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Just Like Heaven,” the Oscar winner created her fashion line Draper James in 2015. The brand — named after Witherspoon’s grandparents Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon — specializes in classic and chic women’s clothing and shoes, and can be found at Nordstrom and Kohl’s.
Eight years after bringing Draper James to life, it seems Witherspoon is ready to part ways with the brand. In September, Consortium Brand Partners acquired a 70% stake in the company for an undisclosed amount.
The deal comes two years after she sold her production company, Hello Sunshine, for $900 million.