Victoria Beckham is a woman who wears many hats - style icon, singer, wife, mother - but one thing she has never called herself is a designer. When she launched her denim line dVb last July, there wasn't much hype, but fast forward to December and Women's Wear Daily were reporting that her eponymous collection of dresses sold out at New York's Bergdorf Goodman almost immediately, as it had done in London a month earlier.
This is not surprising because Beckham's brand is one of many celebrity lines that have become international successes overnight. Look at Sean John, the urban, hip hop fashion line of rap star Sean Combs. While his line does not push boundaries or offer anything exceptionally creative, it clicks with a market looking for well-made clothes with street credibility.
Gwen Stefani's line, Lamb, is another case in point. Stefani used her fashion icon status to launch a clothing that combined glamour with rock and roll. Andre 3000, the hip hop star and designer of the label Benjamin Bixby, has also capitalised on his name to launch a collection of modern preppy clothes in the vein of Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers, but with an edge. This month, he is featured in GQ magazine as one of the best new designers in the America.
'Sean John is a successful line that appeals to a target market because he signifies a great lifestyle and success to his constituents,' explains Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, a research body consulted by luxury brands on the buying patterns of high-net-worth consumers.
'Gwen Stefani is successful because her range looks like herself,' adds David Wolfe, creative director of New York-based trend forecasting agency Doneger Group. 'I think that celebrity ranges will sell if they are priced well and designed with some integrity to the star's own image.'
With our obsession over celebrities and what they wear, it's only logical that celebrity lines will thrive in the fashion industry. After all, the celebrities themselves are the best advertisement for a product.