Excuse Me, Marc Jacobs

Excuse Me, Marc Jacobs

By: Asiah Williams

Celebrities have a massive following that they cash in on. When fashion and our favorite stars collide, the celebrities become the designers.

SAVAGE X PUMA IVY Park Sean Joh Fenty

SAVAGE X PUMA IVY Park Sean Joh Fenty Fenty Beyoncé glares at the camera as she lays gracefully sprawled across a bed of more than 100 colorful sneakers. With one hand tucked behind her head, clad in an Adidas bodysuit, she teases her multi-layered deal with Adidas that includes the relaunch of her activewear line Ivy Park. She initially launched Ivy Park with Topshop in 2016 but ended the 50/50 partnership in 2018. As creative director of a signature shoe and apparel line, Beyoncé is just one of many celebrities taking advantage of their influence and inking deals with distinguished brands. The idea of celebrity designers has been around since the 90’s, but it was modernized in the early 2000s. Celebrity designers have made a resurgence in the last three years in the form of collaboration. We explore the history of celebrity designers and how the trend has evolved. ‘80s hip-hop culture forever revolutionized the fashion industry with the styles of beat-boxing bigwig Doug E. Fresh, the eye-patch poet Slick Rick, and the tracksuit trio Run DMC. These icons wore dookie chains, windbreakers, cazal glasses, and fat shoelaces. This was the precursor to what is known to us as “athleisure.” In 1992, Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, recognized the influence of hiphop culture and created a streetwear line with a preppy twist called Phat Farm. By 1999, Phat Farm expanded to Phat Fashions and his thenwife, Kimora Lee Leissner developed a high-end women’s line called Baby Phat. Leissner earned the moniker “Queen of Fabulosity” when she introduced the urban world to the Baby Phat brand. The line included kitty embossed bodycon dresses, waist-cinching puffer coats, curve-hugging sweatsuits, and bedazzled denim. Though the brand was sold for a seven figure payoff in 2010, the reigning popularity of Baby Phat pivoted into a 2019 relaunch with Forever 21. Mogul Sean Combs (more commonly known as p-diddy or puff daddy) staked his claim in hip-hop fashion history when the worlds of streetwear and menswear collided to create Sean John. The line was founded in 1998, but didn’t gain mainstream notoriety until the early 2000s. In 2004, Combs was dubbed CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year and Sean John continues to thrive with steady endorsements from artists on the verge. One thing that the original Bad Boy and Bad Girl RiRi have in common is their hustle. Earlier this year, Robyn Rihanna Fenty partnered with international luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) to design a selftitled high-end fashion brand. Fenty is a readyto-wear line, including outerwear, suits, blouses, dresses, jewelry, and shoes that defy normality. It’s an intricate women’s brand that embraces freedom and tells a variety of narratives for a very diverse group of women. Public relations major Brandon Jackson is impressed by Rihanna’s ability to identify the needs of the fashion industry. “If you look at her shows and runway looks, you would know that she is a very fashion-conscious individual. She leveled up by exploring inclusivity, factoring in thick women and varying price points. This groundwork made Fenty what Fenty is,” Jackson says. Although she’s the first woman of color to team up with a pillar in the high fashion community, this isn’t her first time creating a clothing line. She started with her Puma collaboration in 2016, introducing the Fenty Creeper. The following year, she broke beauty barriers with the launch of her inclusive makeup line, Fenty Beauty, offering 40 shades of foundation. Then in 2018, she released her lingerie line called Savage X Fenty that features a plethora of sizes. Riri has successfully parlayed her entertainment platform into a fashion and beauty empire, and shows no signs of slowing down with the release of her visual autobiography this past October. Just as Rihanna and Nicki Minaj’s smash hit “Fly” suggests, both ladies came to conquer. Minaj lent her eclectic personal style to Fendi for a collaboration called Prints On. This 127-piece capsule collection features a shearling bomber, printed sweatshirts, and lycra dresses, complete with “F” shaped bamboo earrings, viscose leggings, and baguette bags. With a mix of fluorescent pink, chrome, and gold, the pieces embody the true essence of “Barbie Tingz”. Minaj’s fans, the Barbz, impatiently awaited the Oct. 14 online release. The line is meant to empower women with curves and bodies similar to hers. Celebrities are the original influencers as they were the first to connect with their audiences by promoting products for themselves. Now, celebs enter partnerships with large retailers and brands to produce clothing lines. The hype surrounding the announcement of these partnerships can be attributed to a newly adopted love for collaboration and the exploration of inclusivity. Size variety and shade range is what’s solidifying some of the newest celebrity designers as fashion giants.