Celebrities not only endorse top brands, they are also being asked to design the products
While a slew of luxury brands, marketers and publicists are jumping on the bandwagon for celebrity guest designers hoping to reach new customer segments
Penelope Cruz flaunted a remarkable working-mum quality when we met her in Loewe’s Madrid headquarters in June, slightly more than a month before she gave birth to daughter Luna Encinas Cruz, her second child with fellow Spanish actor and husband Javier Bardem.
On a sizzling high-summer afternoon, the heavily pregnant actress turned up with her sister Monica. Even in a casual ensemble of T-shirt and maternity jeans, with little make-up other than her signature smoky dark eyes and nude plump lips, the expecting mum radiated her usual superstar aura.
She was buzzing with excitement over her new collection for Loewe – Spain’s oldest and most prestigious luxury brand – which she worked on with Monica. The project took months to prepare and finally saw the light of the day for the first time. The capsule collection designed by the sisters will hit stores next month.
“We’ve worked with other brands around the world before, but the Loewe collaboration is really close to our heart,” says the veteran actress, referring to her previous collaborations with the likes of Samantha Thavasa, Mango and Agent Provocateur. “It’s special because we have known the brand for so many years. We grew up buying Loewe bags, and Loewe is really ‘the’ Spanish brand.”
As Spain’s most famous actress and the Academy Award-winning star of Volver and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Cruz is a perfect collaborator for Loewe. Even before the launch of the capsule line, which she actually has a say in designing, the actress had already starred in various campaigns for the luxury brand. The capsule collection is an organic extension to Cruz and Loewe’s long-term partnership.
“Even before we started the collaboration, Penelope, and especially her films with Pedro Almodovar, have been a huge [inspiration] for me,” says Loewe’s former creative director Stuart Vevers, the mastermind behind the Cruz collaboration before moving on to the helm of American accessories brand Coach in June.
“That kind of flamboyance, bold sensuality and the fact she’s probably the most famous Spanish star of all time ... it was natural to reference her style and beauty.”
While celebrity endorsements for luxury fashion brands are practically the industry norm, it’s now taken a step further, with celebrities such as Cruz are invited not only to pose with the products, but to actually design them.