Out of Fashion: Celebs Shutter Clothing Lines

 

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The empresses have no clothes ... or fewer clothes, anyway.

At least three celebrities have temporarily halted or altogether closed their fashion lines in recent months. Jennifer Lopez's Sweetface brand said last week it was putting itself "on hiatus," reality TV star Lauren Conrad's first collection was put on hold in March, and singer Mandy Moore's line hit its last note in February.

"Sex and the City" style icon Sarah Jessica Parker might have unwittingly started the trend in November, when the only store selling her line, retailer Steve & Barry's, filed for bankruptcy. It's unclear if Parker's low-cost Bitten brand will find a new home.

It just goes to show, experts say, that a famous name isn't always enough to stay afloat in the fierce world of fashion, especially in a killer economy.

"It's a tough industry, and you're kind of only as good as your last season," said Lori Wachs, a portfolio manager specializing in retail at Delaware Investments.

The recession has taken a toll on the fashion industry worldwide, with apparel retailers and department stores ranging from Abercrombie & Fitch to Neiman Marcus reporting continued declines in sales.

"This has been one of the most difficult retail environments that we've ever seen," Wachs said. "It's becoming survival of the fittest."

But the slumping economy isn't the only challenge facing celebrity designers.

Moore closed her fashion line in February. "I love the fashion world," she told Women's Wear Daily. "I'm fascinated by it. I'm humbled by it. If I were to dip my toe back in there, it would have to be the right situation … a great partnership that could represent a true reflection of me and my ideas, and you know that wasn't happening. So next go-round, that needs to be top of the list."

Jenise Uehara, a blogger for CelebrityClothingLine.com, said, "Success depends on how well the celebrity's persona, or personal style actually reconciles with the line they are hawking."

Lauren Conrad Goes in Another Direction

Parker's discount Bitten line, Uehara said in an e-mail, is a great example.

"Who could picture Carrie Bradshaw wearing $40 heels?" she said.

The line's target customers should also match the celebrity's fan base, Uehara said. Kanye West, she said, got that right with his "Air Yeezy" sneakers, which the rapper put out in collaboration with Nike.

"Kanye's fans think of themselves as fashion-forward streetwear aficionados," she said. "The Air Yeezy's retail price was in the mid $200 range, but they are already going for over $1,000 on eBay, and you cannot get them in stores without waiting in line overnight."

Reality TV star Lauren Conrad walked the runway at a Lauren Conrad Collection fashion show in Culver City, Calif., in October but, several months later, the line was put on hold as she turned her attention to a lower-priced collection in the works for retailer Kohl's.

Conrad may have had her young fans' budgets mind when she decided to halt her upscale brand, which had been on sale at Bloomingdale's, as well as various boutiques.

A representative for "The Hills" alum said Conrad opted to put the collection on hold because she's busy launching a lower-priced line, LC Lauren Conrad, with Kohl's.

"I think that Lauren does listen to her fans, and I think that was a really important reason for her to team up with Kohl's in that it is a great outlet, and it is clothing that is very affordable in this economy," the representative said.