Celebrity designers are a modern-day fad: everyone from P. Diddy to Avril Lavigne has a perfume or handbag line with their name on it. But success on the charts or the screen doesn’t always translate to the rack. No offense to Carrie Bradshaw, but Sarah Jessica Parker’s clothing line, Bitten, looks more moth-bitten than Sex and the City fabulous. And when a starlet from The Hills decides to become a fashion designer, too, the trend has officially jumped the shark. Fortunately, a few select celebrities take their sartorialism seriously, aiming to craft superlative outfits instead of self-promotional knockoffs. Feted by fashion insiders and fans alike, these four women have emerged at the top of a heap of mediocre talent. Hopefully, they’ll spearhead a new trend in fashion: the credible celebrity designer.
Victoria Beckham: The Victoria Beckham Collection
From ersatz drag queen to couture royalty, Victoria Beckham has come a long way from her Posh Spice days. Along with her sexy husband, soccer star David Beckham, she’s an international style icon—and most recently, designer darling of the fashion elite. The Victoria Beckham Collection debuted in 2008 to rave reviews; critics praised her beautiful, classic pieces, designed for the average woman. British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman liked her purchase so much that she wore it to three consecutive fashion shows.
Beckham has clearly done her research on haute-couture tailoring, absorbing lessons from designer pals like Stefano Pilati (Yves Saint Laurent) and Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel). Fit and proportion are crucial elements for The Victoria Beckham Collection. Despite her own teeny-tiny figure, Beckham understands the power of curves. Her fitted silhouettes hug the body and smooth out bumps, flattering women from size two to size fourteen. Each of the fifteen dresses from her tightly edited collection is the perfect go-to piece, working in the boardroom as well as in the club.
“I design for me; I’m my own customer,” Beckham said to New York Magazine. “My customer is someone who likes to dress up, someone who appreciates quality, and someone who’s looking for investment pieces that will last forever.”
