Celebrity-backed fashion lines don't necessarily have the best reputation. It's hard to forget Lindsay Lohan's short-lived stint for Emanuel Ungaro or Heidi Montag's critically-slammed attempt at design with Heidiwood, but the appeal of bringing an A-lister with a huge following on board is tempting for brands – and sometimes it pays off. From the fashion businesses that were started from scratch to celebrity/brand collaborative collections, these are the celebrity fashion label success stories.
Fenty by Puma
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After being named creative director of womenswear at Puma in 2014, last year saw the singer design her first ready-to-wear collection for the house, showing at New York Fashion Week, before moving to Paris the next season. With supermodels in tow and elaborate themes such as ‘Marie Antoinette at the gym’, she of course stole many of the headlines, but it is the numbers that speak for themselves.
The brand announced in April this year that profits have jumped 92 per cent this quarter, which is in no small part down to Rihanna’s womenswear line (although deals with Kylie Jenner, Cara Delevingne and The Weeknd have also played their part). As well as helping to boost sales generally at Puma, her creeper was named ‘Shoe of the Year’ by Footwear News (she is the first woman ever to win the accolade) and the singer is also set to launch Fenty Beauty this spring. There’s clearly more to come, but so far, this looks like a collaboration that has paid off.
