Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen’s The Row 2011 Fall Runway Presentation Photo: Courtesy of IMAXtree.com, The Row and ELLE
Who among us wouldn’t want to be Kim Kardashian for a day?
Just to say we know what it feels like to be a real live pin up girl.
For the very simple needs of reality television, Kim Kardashian is the perfect sex pot. If you were to follow her around America you’d assume you’re in royal company.
Follow Kim to a Balenciaga in Paris, and you might see the opposite reception.
When it comes to earning respect among fashions blue chip industry – sex doesn’t sell if that’s the only thing you’re selling.
The celebrity fashion industry has become so large that a caste system has emerged.
In this new world, being attractive certainly sells clothes in mind boggling numbers. You can take the successful lines of Jessica Simpson who have earned enough money with her apparel and accessory brands to support a small country.
According to New York magazine, Simpson’s fashion empire reported sales around $750 Million. In other industries, that’s the kind of money that can earn you respect. In fashion, it doesn’t.
Fashion critics, designers and tastemakers shy away from acknowledging these “sex pot” brands out of fear that they would “cheapen” their own reputations; and “hot” celebrities like Simpson are caught in a battle between fashion commerce and celebrity image.
However, it’s a vastly different kind of success attained by celebrities like Gwen Stefani, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and hell, even former Posh Spice Victoria Beckham. They’ve been accepted by the industry because they’re not only attractive, but actually know something about fashion. They don’t rely on their celebrity image to carry their label, but spend significant time researching and understanding the ins and outs of the industry.
Until then, the “sex pots” can chase the money earned from having a celebrity label, or get knowledgeable enough to receive an invitation to Anna Wintour’s next luncheon.
