As Britney Spears launches her own fashion line, what makes all these celebrities think they can design clothes?

By Tamara Abraham

Playing at fashion: Britney Spears' models items from her new range for Candies. She says it represents her personal style - but did she have any in the first place?


She's not exactly known for her fashion sense, so why Britney Spears has been signed up to design a clothing line is beyond us.

U.S. budget retailer Candies will be selling a collection inspired by the outfits worn on the singer's Circus tour - the one in which she wore top hats, leotards and ostrich boleros - from Thursday.

But the 28-year-old insists that the range features looks that both she and her fans would wear.

'This collection really represents my personal style,' she told WWD.

'I took pieces from my Circus tour and pieces that I wear every day. I love denim, so I made sure to include a lot of jeans'

'I wanted to design clothes that I would wear and my fans would wear. That was the most important thing to me.


'I wanted to make both daytime casual looks and fun dresses to go out in at night. I met with the design team for Candie's and Kohl's, and we started making sketches and designed a line.

'I got to approve every single piece in the line. It was really a lot of fun. I can't wait for it to come out


Inspiration: Britney's fashion line was basen on the costumes from her Circus tour


Though Britney is not the first celebrity to play at being a fashion designer - only last week we saw Madonna and her daughter Lourdes launch a 'tween' line that looked better suited to a red light district than a schoolyard - she highlights everything that is wrong with the concept.

The fact that a person is famous does not give them style - most stars have personal stylists for that - it takes years of training, experience and talent to become a fashion designer as anyone who has tried to succeed in the industry will testify.

Indeed, Ungaro really should have known better when they hired Lindsay Lohan as 'artistic adviser'.

Of course, there are some stars that have managed to capitalise on their celebrity status with some genuine credibility.

Back in her Spice Girl days we could never have imagined that the name Victoria Beckham would become a byword for impeccably-cut dresses. And a preview of Sienna Miller's Twenty8Twelve line is always a hot ticket at London Fashion Week.

Nicole Richie's hippie-chic Winter Kate and House of Harlow lines have seen phenomenal sales at retailer My-Wardrobe.com, and Dannii Minogue's Project D collection promises to do the same.

But while Sienna, Posh, Dannii and Nicole may know what they like, they are not the ones wielding the fabric cutters.

House of Harlow accessories are created with jeweller Mouawad, Dannii's was created with friend and fashion designer Tabitha Somerset-Webb, Sienna has her Central Saint Martins-trained sister Savannah behind the scenes and Victoria Beckham's team, which trained in the finest Paris ateliers, can call upon the likes of Roland Mouret for advice.


Family affair: Sienna Miller with her fashion designer sister Savannah (left), who is the talent behind their Twenty8Twelve line; Right, Madonna and daughter Lourdes have also designed a collection together


'He gave me advice when it came to putting my team together,' she explained. 'He doesn’t have anything to do with the design of anything that I do, but he taught me about how to turn my dreams into reality, if you like.

'He told me I needed a production manager - he helped with that side of things.'


Fashion friends: Dannii and her Project D co-designer, Tabitha Somerset-Webb


Indeed, Victoria is rare in her respect for the fashion designer's craft, so much so that she was embarrassed to admit the launch of her own label to friend and fashion designer Marc Jacobs.

'I felt a little bit embarrassed,' she said. 'He’s Marc Jacobs. What else can I say? I never really told him, and then we went to dinner and he said congratulations on all the reviews.'

So what, then, of Kate Moss - perhaps the most famous of celebrity designers, whose fantastically successful range for Topshop is in its 12th season.

Laura Collins, who wrote Kate Moss: The Complete Picture, says that Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green initially had serious reservations about Kate's commitment, and wanted to be sure that the collaboration was not just some three-hour photoshoot to publicise a handbag.

She revealed that both Sir Philip and Kate were used to being in charge: 'He found making decisions by committee tiresome, while Kate insisted on signing off each and every piece personally.

'He provided her with designers, buyers and merchandisers. She brought her own team.'

So it is clear that Kate is hands-on - even if she is just mimicking favourite pieces from her own wardrobe. As she unveiled her latest collection, she said: 'I just think of what I want to wear in the summer. They're all still really me.'

So it is possible for a celebrity to convincingly put their name to a collection - but the rule of thumb is that they have to dress well in the first place. Take note, Britney.

To read more of Spears' interview with WWD, visit their website.


I'm wearing myself: Nicole Richie modelling her Winter Kate collection, Kate Moss in a Kate Moss Topshop romper and Victoria Beckham in Victoria Beckham


source: dailymail