Successful Celebrity Branding: Who Deserves a Fashion Line?
Celebrities have branded themselves as actors/actresses, philanthropists, musicians, and authors. Many of them are successful in one or two of those items listed, many actors/actresses can dabble in music or end up writing a book. Their vast experiences, networks and reach allow them to easily gain attention once they decide to dive into a new field of work. Just look at Justin Timberlake, in my opinion not only was his group and solo music careers successful but he has made a name for himself as an actor as well. More recently he has jumped into the fashion industry with one of his good friends which earned them about 50 million a year in sales! While we all have our hesitations when a celebrity changes direction many times it can be a good thing. One industry I have been struggling in to accept however is celebrities who begin fashion lines.
There are so many creative individuals in the world (I know more than a few) who given the opportunity could deliver amazing looks and trends into the world. Unfortunately, sometimes it is all about who you know and really pushing yourself into what looks like a bottomless pit of little hope. There are many celebrities who have branded themselves as designers and made a huge impact from it. Take for example, the Olson twins. Their realization that fashion was what they intended to focus on drove them to enroll in college as well as completely leave acting behind, putting their efforts into their new passion. Leaving behind the bitterness of knowing their childhood acting careers made them billionaires consumers can still see the success of their three fashion lines. Olsonboye for kids, Elizabeth and James for mid-market as well The Row which is a high end line. Another great example is Lauren Conrad. Using her past experiences she wrote a successful novel (Not to say that it was a masterpiece) and began a reasonably priced clothing line through Kohl’s retailers as well as a more high end fashion line called Paper Crown. 
There are plenty of other names that could come to mind when thinking of popular designers for example; Gwen Stefani, Nicole Richie, and Jessica Simpson. They have branded themselves as serious designers who have taken grasp of their target market and produced products that identify themselves along with their market. Often times it is celebrities that pave the road in creating fashion trends so why not be able to pass that on through their products to consumers? Just because you have the ability to reach people doesn’t always mean you should move forward in creating a fashion line. Let’s take a look at the Kardashian sisters. With their mother’s attraction to any new business opportunity, it wasn’t long before she scooped up the opportunity to bring sears back on its feet through a Kardashian “Klothing” line. Unfortunately, Sears hasn’t even begun to see improvements in sales from this venture. Many products had to be removed based on copyright infringement and consumers were unable to connect with the products since they seemed so far fetched from what the Kardashians would actually put on their own bodies. People need to believe that these clothing items are made for their best interest, to make THEM beautiful and to have their favorite celebrities backing their product 100%. This line seems as unbelievable as their reality television series.
When celebrities take on the role of a designer they need to keep some things in mind:
1. Create a line that is believable: that is, you can connect the goal of the line with who made it.
2. Focus on one market: is your line low, mid or high end? Is it a complete line with both clothing and accessories? Does it all flow together with the same target market?
3. Have the passion: people can see when your line is quickly done and made just because you can. Don’t let money and reach guide you, let your passion.
4. Know your stuff: if you aren’t aware of what people will be buying you shouldn’t go this path alone. Many celebrities partner with retailers or other designers to create unique fashion lines with lessened risk. Having someone who already knows the industry to help guide you can be a good start to branding yourself as a successful designer.
