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| Style Solutions for Everyday Life
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CAN CELEBRITY CLOTHING COLLECTIONS REALLY
MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A STAR?
Just because someone famous slaps their name on a skirt doesn’t mean
it’s good, now, does it? But that hasn’t stopped a bevy of celebrity
beauties from getting into the fashion game. From Gwen Stefani’s new
LAMB collection to J. Lo’s expanding fashion line, there’s a
whole crop of celebrity duds out there. Here, we look at the top five celebrity
collections to help you sort them out. Which looks will work in your wardrobe?
Which collection is right for your pocketbook and which celebrity line is
not going to bring out the star in you at all?
The Collections
Lamb from Gwen Stefani
Fetish by Eve
Thalia Sodi
Baby Phat (female counterpart of Russell Simmons’s Phat Farm)
J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez
Gwen’s grown up and her teenybopper
fans need not apply.
Name of collection: LAMB, acronym for Love Angel
Music Baby
Celebrity designer: Singer Gwen Stefani
Style: West Coast funk in a sophisticated vein
What makes
it Gwen? Punk pants, silver chain belts, Rastafarian colors, retro tops
Is it for you? Yes, yes. Older than some of Gwen’s fans. I loved
it. Versatile retro silk blouses; perfect for a date or any office. Plenty
of options—like gauchos and cashmere sweaters—for hanging out.
Best
buys: Silk blouses. Vintage-look track suits, cashmere tops.
Price
range: Barneys prices: $50 for a camisole, and up to $350. Flight pant
$160
Overall rating: Five credit cards
Eve takes on fashion.
Name of collection: Fetish
Celebrity designer: Rapper/actor Eve
Style: To be determined
What makes it Eve: I have no idea. This line is a disappointment
and does not reflect Eve’s edgy and ultra-sophisticated designer-meets-the-street
style.
Is it for you? Only if you like expensive T-shirts, rehashed
trends, strange muddy colors and FETISH written all over your clothes.
Best Buys: Skip it till they improve it. A boutique line,
which is said to hew closer to Eve’s personal style, is expected in stores
in a few months.
Price range: Cotton corduroy jacket $90, novelty
pants $78
Overall rating: One credit card
I was shocked at how good Thalia Sodi’s collection looked.
Name of collection: Thalia Sodi
Celebrity designer: Mexican singer Thalia Sodi
Style: Sexy, showy and sporty
What makes it Thalia: Exuberant reds and pinks, novelty
jeans, REINA (“queen” in Spanish) T-shirts
Is it for you? It’s surprisingly young, sexy and tasteful.
Not career wear if you’re looking for a promotion. Lots of fun, individual
pieces to enliven your casual wardrobe.
Best buys: Embellished jeans, trendy designer-inspired
handbags, REINA T-shirts
Price range: High for Kmart but sooo low compared
to anything else. Cat suit $34.99, “Brazilian’’ jeans $26.99, jersey
top $14.99
Overall rating: Three credit cards
Russell Simmons’s wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, modeled for Chanel and
it shows.
Name of collection: Baby Phat
Celebrity designer: Russell Simmons’s wife, Kimora Lee
Style: Sophisticated, glamorous street
What makes it Simmons: Kimora’s high-fashion model background
with Russell’s street cred
Is it for you? If you like to make an entrance, fancy yourself
a video princess or have been mistaken for one
Best buys: Great asymmetrical tops for evening or over
jeans, Baby Phat leather or jean jackets—already a must-have for some young
women. Baby Phat T-shirts
Price range: Jackets - $400 to $800. Dragon logo, bat-wing
top—gives style for the money at $78. Jeans $59.
Overall rating: Four credit cards
The grand-mammy of the current celebrity collections is Jennifer
Lopez’s line.
Name of collection: J.Lo By Jennifer Lopez
Celebrity designer: Jennifer Lopez
Style: Youthful sportswear with an urban edge
What makes it Jennifer: Glamorous. True to her own style.
White puffer jackets, silver signature zipper pulls, velour cat suits, feminine
wrap dresses.
Is it for you? Grown up enough for a baby boomer and fun
enough for a 20-something.
Best buys: Sophisticated dresses, cotton twill jackets
and pants. And J. Lo holds down her big girls to size 24 with stylish looks
like jeans and jumpsuits.
Price range: Jeans $69 and up. Jersey dresses $79, strapless
jumpsuit $89.
Overall rating: Four credit cards
Coming Soon to the World of Fashion
Handbags and swimwear are next in J.Lo’s plans. Swimwear is scheduled to
hit the Internet first. Then, later this spring, according to Women’s Wear
Daily, J.Lo handbags arrive.
Swimwear’s a natural for the sexy entertainer who’s often
sported bikini tops and beachwear in her videos.
Other celebrities gearing up for fashion forays include: Grammy nominees
the white-hot OutKast. Andre 3000 said he is working on reintroducing a
fashion collection. Equally hot Pharrell Williams told me he plans to introduce
his Billionaire Boys Club line this year. And remember, P. Diddy’s store
is set to open in New York this spring.
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