Jessica Simpson Fashions an Empire
From Shoes & Bags, the Singer Expands to a Full Line of Accessories
Boasting the top selling shoe for 2006 - a ballet flat --Jessica Simpson and her main licensee are expanding into a full line of fashion accessories for fall 2007.
Celeb fashion entrepreneur Jessica Simpson and her master licensee, the Camuto Group, will be expanding beyond shoes this fall with a number of other licenses: outerwear (Fleet Street), swim (In Gear), eyewear (Colors in Optics), handbags (Trebbianno), costume jewelry (Lydell), and lingerie (Vestiny). This despite her pricey scuffle with Tarrant Apparel Group, which sued her for last April for $100 milion for failing to adequately promote her licensed denim lines JS by Jessica Simpson & Princy. (As with J.Lo & her junior denim lines, the fact that diva Jessica Simpson is never seen in public in her own label probably doesn't help her cause.)
So far, the one-year-old Jessica Simpson line of shoes has performed phenomenally. Priced moderately and available at democratic fashion outlets such as Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillard's and Bakers, the line boasted the top selling shoe in the US in 2006 – a ballet flat – and will probably rake in an impressive $225 at retail this yea, WWD reports. In other words, the fashion forecast for the singer/actress and her business partners looks fabulous.
"When we look for a partner, we look for people with integrity, sourcing capability and design understanding to take the brand where we see it," Camuto told WWD about working with Simpson. "This is a young contemporary brand that reflects Jessica's own style. Jessica is here and 100 percent involved in this brand…Nothing gets into the store without her approval. This brand will grow into a complete lifestyle as Jessica sees it." Agrees Simpson, who claims to be heavily involved in the design and development process: "It has been rewarding to build this brand and expand it into all aspects of the American lifestyle."
While Simpson & Camuto are in the market for more licenses including fine jewelry, home, stationery and fragrance – which insiders guesstimate will no doubt ring up hundreds of millions in sales – a full-on sportswear line will have to wait until the lawsuit is settled with Tarrant. In the mean while, the team is preparing to shoot the ad campaign for fall 2007, featuring Simpson. Thanks to factors like her relationship with singer John Mayer and the release of her new movie Blonde Ambition starring Luke Wilson, Simpson's splashy profile will be even higher, just in time for the new product launch. The fact that the sexy blonde will be wakling the runway at the Swim Show in Miami this July won't hurt PR efforts either.
