Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have already produced a clothing line for Wal-Mart for tween girls and a fashion line for Harvey Nichols, the Row, named after Savile Row in London. The second collection of the Row, which will debut at Harvey Nichols July 25th, is comprised of stylish shirts, trendy jackets, chic knitted cardigans and hip skinny jeans.

Now the dynamic fashion duo are set to launch a new line, Elizabeth and James and is a partnership with Vernon, California based L'Koral Industries, owned by partners Peter Koral and Jane Siskin.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen sees a woman "early 20s, figuring out life and just experimenting," wearing Elizabeth and James. "It's a sophisticated woman with a playful side and is still chic. It's someone who understands fashion and understands details and expects that as well."

Mary-Kate said they approached Siskin a year ago to become a partner in the label, which she hopes will fill "a void in the market that we thought we could definitely excel in."

Siskin said when she met with the girls, they seemed to be on the same page almost immediately.

Elizabeth and James is intended for a woman who wants a designer garment but cannot afford it, she said.

"It's a sophisticated, but a smart, shopper. It's someone who understands the design aspects of fashion [and] the designer product, but also doesn't want to pay designer prices," Ashley said.

Ashley said Elizabeth and James will launch domestically with four collections for spring, fall, holiday and resort in limited distribution.

This is one good reason for celebrity clothing lines if it is done right. Bringing many of us more choice in quality clothing if we cant always afford designer items. I have not personally seen the Row collection and have not seen reviews for Elizabeth and James but more choice is usually better.

 Picture and source: frillr.com

As often the case with celebrity designed (or inspired as is in many cases) fashion lines the collections as well as the reviews are a hit and miss proposition.

The nydailynews.com review gave a left-handed compliment in stating that "nothing looks like anything SJP would ever wear".

Read the rest of the review

Last week, when SJP previewed Bitten on "Oprah," the host gushed and her audience went berserk. Real-life women got the chance to put on some of the pieces, and Parker herself donned one of the collection's suits. That a suit can be put together, each piece under $20, is a boon to working women everywhere looking to get a professional leg up without breaking the bank. Bitten's more casual aspects – cute cuffed jeans, colorful tanks, wide-leg khakis and easy cotton dresses – are better made than you'd think, without that "disposable fashion feel." They really are made for every woman, at every size and budget.

But fashionwiredaily.com is less generous in evaluating the clothing line:

…there's not much to say about this bland line of mismatched basics. Case in point: a tailored waistcoat paired with knickers made out of sweatshirt material shows clear evidence of fashion schizophrenia. 

For those in need of another cheap pair of khakis, another cheap t-shirt or another vaguely bohemian camisole top, the collection will be available starting June 7th in Steve & Barry stores nationwide. All items retail for $19.98 or less.

"Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right," is Bitten's call to revolution. However, if this is the best "fashion" that can be offered to the masses, perhaps there should be someone rallying for the cause of savings accounts. That way, people might actually acquire something for their wardrobe worth the high price of the gas they'll use up driving to the mall to purchase it.

One thing for sure, the launch of Bitten on June 7th has motivated me to take a look at the local Steve & Barry store next month. I haven't shopped there before. With the dichotomy of the descriptions from nydailynews.com (…better made than you'd think, without that "disposable fashion feel.") and fashionwiredaily.com ( ..bland line of mismatched basics ..), I am more than a little curious. Of course fashionwiredaily could be comparing apples and oranges.  They speak of  rallying the cause of savings accounts – who isn't? And for that matter checking accounts too. Just as Sarah Jessica Parker herself has, I would love to have a closet filled with high-end designer clothes and accessories. But like so many, I can't afford that so instead must seek out cheap-chic and the occasional good deal for higher-end designer clothes to have some variety in my wardrobe. 

When the Bitten collection hits stores I'll let you know what I think of them compared to other cheap-chic brands (such as at Target, etc.). If any of you view or purchase from the collection let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

pictures: bittensjp.com

From FemaleFirst, we get Sienna Miller's fashion philosophy. A girl after my own heart when it comes to choosing what to wear. She does her own thing so that makes me look forward to her and bona-fide designer sister Savannah's fashion line Twenty8 Twelve. I hope it has its own signature look and shows creativity. Can't wait! (click on thumbs for bigger picture)

Style icon and actress Sienna Miller revealed her love of fashion recently. The ‘ Factory Girl’ star insisted that although she loves clothes, she is not that fashion conscious.She said;" I know what I like to wear and I enjoy shopping. But I don’t like to look too ostentatious or too glamorous; I‘m a bit scruffy."

Miller is currently planning to launch her new fashion line Twenty8 Twelve with her designer sister Savannah. Her style is inspired by music, art and moments – she said." I went to the Sickert and Degas exhibition the other day and I suddenly wanted to get a top hat and a frilly skirt" "It’s more about how it makes me feel, as opposed to how it affects other people."

 Sienna Miller at Chanel Dinner

Candid Picture – NY  May 13, 2007

Candid Picture – NY  May 11, 2007

pictures: Sienna-Miller.org 

OK, it's the weekend and everyone needs some "down time." Something easier to blog – videos! I wanted to post this video about the launch of Lily Allen's clothing line, Lily Loves, at New Look's flagship store in London particularly since I posted a video about Kate Moss' new clothing line and amid reports that Moss' clothes would be limited to smaller sizes (0-6). Toward the end of the Lily Allen states that she insisted this fashion line be designed to accommodate a range of sizes and that curvy girls wouldn't be left out.

In case you missed it…

Here is video of Kate Moss reviewing her namesake collection which debuted at Top Shop. The collection was critiqued for being too derivative of other designers' work. The collection was meant to be inspired by Moss and her own wardrobe but was said to be too copied and that celebrities have little input into the design process. This video gives a glimpse into how much may have been contributed by Kate. In truth, I hope she has another collection to follow this just to see if she heeds and answers the critics by coming up with more original designs and contributing more of her creative vision to the fashion line. We all like to see development and improvement and I give the benefit of the doubt that this is just a first step…

Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas will  collaborate with Antik Denim to design a fashion line called 'i.am. Antik' initially consisting of  premium jeans and denim apparel. The clothing line will debut August this year and will be available in upscale stores.  He says: "I produce and write my own music, and the same creativity, energy and imagination I put into making music is the same creativity,energy and imagination I put into designing clothes. I am excited to collaborate with Antik to create a fresh remix of denim."

"I fuse genres of music and I will fuse eras and styles of fashion,” he explains. “I want to launch and market the clothes in a way that has never been done, combining music and fashion. I want to design the line and score it the way a composer scores a film and tour the collection like a band will tour an album. I want to make a fresh stylistic collection that everyone wants but limited and special to keep them looking for more."

source

Black Eyed Peas ( Taboo, appl.de.ap., Fergie and will.i.am )

No stranger to fashion, Will.i.am. launched i.am. clothing in 2005. The exclusive, limited edition brand's website which is not yet launched ( iamclothing.net)  is a good indicator of his eclectic style as seen in the interim intro to the site. The i.am. clothing line is produced in partnership with with Lor-e Philips, head stylist for the Black Eyed Peas.

The complaint has often been that celebrity clothing lines have no input by the celebrity and said celebrity has no design background or design skills. But Will.i.am, prior to forming the Black Eyed Peas, attended L.A.'s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. That combined with his dapper sense of style makes the denim line one I am looking forward to seeing.

From the Black Eyed Peas website. 

"i.am clothing is aiming to fill the gap created in an industry where mass production consumes each person's need for individuality. The idea is to create items that no one else is currently wearing. They will start with 10-15 styles in which each piece is handcrafted under the critical eye of both designers. Each approved piece will then be numbered and signed personally by Will.i.am. The maximum number produced of each style will not reach over 500, making each piece in the collection a must-have."

source 

picture: nymag.com 

Some news outlets are claiming that the Kate Moss clothing line sold at TopShop in the UK is far from the runaway success hoped for, indicated by sales that went for below retail on eBay. From personal experience, I can tell you that eBay is very much a shoppers paradise and very often a hit-and-miss proposition for sellers. The laws of supply and demand prevailed as 3,500 items from the Kate Moss inspired line were placed for auction. It isn't clear if the eBay sellers were by individuals seeking a profit making opportunity or people from TopShop themselves. The clothing line largely consists of dresses tees and jeans and is meant to be a "walk into Moss' wardrobe".

The long and short of it: Best sellers in London and Paris. Good reviews in London and tepid reviews in New York. And on eBay, well.. furious sells and then a lull. The quality of the design and construction of the clothes will be the best indicator for the long run. Kate Moss certainly adds publicity and hype. But all labels need marketing (see my many upcoming posts on emerging designers!), but at the end of the day it is all about quality to determine if this line has staying power. Gwen Stefani's label L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers is an example of this.

picture: source