Celebrity Designers Round 1: Rappers

In this post, I am going to take a more in depth look at the phenomenon of "celebrity designers." There are actually several hundred, but we don't really have that kind of time! Besides, I've never heard of half of them. If you want to see them all, check out this list.

As you all know, you can't walk into a store, from Bloomingdales to Wal-Mart, without crossing paths with a celebrity line of clothing, accessories, or shoes. I will be rating them on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the horribly done and 10 being as close to an actual fashion designer as a celebrity can get.

ROUND 1:

In the early 2000's, a rash of rappers launched clothing lines with their names attached. A few did well with it, most did not. (Ratings are based on my opinion, not how much money they may have made from sales.)

Celebrity - Sean Combs (P. Diddy, Puffy, Puff Daddy, whatever the hell he is calling himself this week)

Line - Sean John - Clothing, Accessories, Footwear, Fragrance

Established - 1998

Rating - 7

The reason Diddy doesn't score higher is because of the urban streetwear line (men's and women's). I personally find it tacky. However, the mens ready-to-wear line is fantastic! Classy, sophisticated, and stylish. As much as I don't love a denim three piece suit (streetwear line), I do love a tailored three piece suit (ready-to-wear). I don't love everything that he puts on the runway, but the effort is there and it is comparable to the "real" designers. Even some of the streetwear is tolerable...when his name isn't plastered all over it!

Celebrity - Nelly

Line - Apple Bottom Jeans - Clothing, Accessories, Footwear, Fragrance 

Established - 2003

Rating - 1

This line is a big mess! I understand guys like a girl with a great butt, but do we really need to exploit ourselves by comparing our rears to a piece of fruit? NO! They say they are a "lifestyle brand" that caters to all body types. Great. Now, how about getting that bedazzled fruit off my ass!?!

Please note, that the apple on the butt is not the worst part of this line! The tag on the zipper placket says "Sweet to the Core." Great message to send to your teenage consumers! 

***I bet you now have that dumbass song about "boots with fur" stuck in your head...and if you didn't, you do now! You're welcome!***

Celebrity - Russell Simmons (Original Hip-Hop Mogul)

Line - Phat Farm - Clothing, Accessories, Footwear, Fragrance

Established - 1992

Rating - 8

I like Russell Simmons, and I, for the most part, like what he did with Phat Farm. He was at the forefront of this entire celebrity designer trend. Even during the denim suit trend, he kept it clean (for the most part) and didn't go overboard with logos (there were a lot of logos, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't as bad as most brands in this category). I really like the preppy twist with the argyle sweaters and pastel polos. Mr. Simmons is an extremely business savvy fellow, who totally understands is core consumer. His knowledge of the hip-hop world allowed him to produce a clothing line that would be well accepted in that community. The company was sold in 2004, and Mr. Simmons stepped down in 2007, but the brand remains successful today even under the new ownership. I have rated him the highest in this category because he built a reputable business, understood who his customer was, and successfully made it through over a decade with attractive clothing.

This post is ONLY referring to the mens line of Phat Farm, not the Baby Phat label run by his ex, Kimora Lee Simmons (I'll get to that one in a later post). 

Celebrity - 50 Cent

Line - G-Unit - Clothing, Accessories, Footwear, Fragrance

Established - 2003

Rating - 3

The only reason this rating isn't lower is because 50 was at least smart enough to team up with Marc Ecko (founder of Ecko Unlimited) to develop his clothing line. However, the actually clothing never went too far beyond slapping the G-Unit logo on a piece from Ecko's line. Not a whole lot of creativity here. BORING!

Celebrity - Jay-Z

Line - Rockawear - Clothing, Accessories, Footwear

Established - 1999

Rating - 5

Jay-Z is a smart business man, and I respect him for that. Although he sold the rights to Rocawear in 2007, he  retained a stake in the company and oversees marketing, product development, and licensing. Rocawear can be a little tacky, especially when over-logoed like so many of the brands listed above. However, like Sean John and Phat Farm, there is also a line of "real" clothing that can be worn by anyone. Some of the stuff is even cute!

This concludes Round 1 of Celebrity Designers! More to come! Next up, Pop Stars...