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A new trend has swept the celebrity nation taking Hollywood's entire female population by storm and our style icon starlets are taking on a new, behind the scenes role in an unfamiliar industry...
From Peaches to Paris, is this infinite regurgitation of famous fashion enthusiasts developing new lines with current labels by exploiting their stature taking away the heart and sole of design?  Is it really fair for likes of Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton, Sienna Miller, Nicole Richie and many more besides to have direct access into the fashion industry by riding on their reputations? True designers spend arduous hours throughout a vast portion of their lives to obtain the essential skills required to enter the real world of fashion in hope to catch a slight glimpse of what these celebrities have already achieved in other fields. Now the invasion of young A-Listers into an industry held close to our hearts has stirred up quite the debate between the inhabitants of the ruthless conceptual microcosm of design. Our style role models can be seen constantly throughout various magazines luring us into anything vaguely resembling their portrayed apparel, and not only can they achieve this effortless marketing, the transition from endorsement to active involvement questions the motives of collaborative labels and the true extent of their input. Topshop has provided evidential material throughout their website to certify Kate Moss's contributions to her adoring fans who queued for hours outside the flagship store in Oxford Street eagerly awaiting the launch of her AW07/08 Collection. Stella McCartney has worked hard at perfecting her creative gift, yet has her inevitable fame through carrying a quarter of the legendary "Beatles" gene pool assisted her astronomical leap to stardom? Hats off to Stella McCartney, who endured a Fashion Design Degree at Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design, however Stella's innate prestige gave her the overwhelming advantage of showcasing her final collection on a succession of supermodel peers, including Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Kate Moss at the graduation runway show in 1995. In comparison to Stella's automatic entry into the pinnacle of the high end fashion scene, Phoebe Philo who graduated a year after Stella, coming from a less affluent background snapped up similar opportunities via Stella working as her design assistant at Chloe in 1997. Philo succeeded McCartney as creative director of the iconic luxury label in 2001 after McCartney was offered the chance to start her own label with the Gucci Group. By no means demeaning her natural ability, Phoebe's journey of success still poses the question of riding on the back of another's reputation. These two designers have clearly earned their right to occupy a proportion of the industry through education; however the majority of female celebrities taking on a behind the scenes approach to garment creation are merely using their purchasing experience to create entire collections. A large portion of female stars also employ a personal style advisor to shop for them, diminishing any plausible credit for supposed innovative style. Have the recent efforts to generate awareness in regards to quality amongst consumers by the likes of television series "Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts" been shunned by our warped celebrity obsessed culture? Talented design graduates who have worked hard for their qualifications are not receiving the same opportunities as famous actresses/singers who miraculously develop an eye for design overnight, having been handed extensive contracts with prestigious labels on a silver plate. In this respect, we can refer back to the proverbial business law "It's not what you know, it's who you know" unfortunately assisting the pursuance of incessant female stars not only taking over our wardrobes but taking away the worthy struggle to achieve success in this lethal industry. Why not continue this heated debate in the FashionCapital forums in our Community Section? Emily Tullett Share this Article:                        Advertisement |
