tFS: A lot of celeb kids are now hitting the runway. Are they hijacking, too or is Ireland Baldwin a model?
TA: Georgia May Jagger was one of the first to be the “daughter of” someone famous and become a model. It’s all just part of the fame. The quotient is huge and fame is a huge marketing tool and a way to telegraph cool and capture the fascination for the people watching the show. People like the fact that Kendall Jenner is related to the Kardashians. Is she a model or not? The marketplace will decide that. But yes, the celebrity gives her a leg up. But I would argue that it’s never been a level playing field. There are plenty of people who are able to get in [to fashion] because of a legacy situation. I guess you could call this the “celebrity legacy.” All this competition, I think for the creative designers, it’s a bigger challenge. It makes them stronger and it’s harder for them to work. But if it wasn’t the celebrities who are going to block their hustle, it’s going to be somebody else. Zara’s doing it, Forever 21 is doing it. There’s always going to be someone getting to the marketplace faster.
I wish young designers would spend the time to get to know the industry. It’s harder than ever, it’s more complex than ever, it’s more global than ever, and the more designers get in there and understand what they’re doing, making the connections and all those kind of things that then allow you to launch your own fashion line. Look at the Olsens. The Olsens had money, enough to launch their own brand. But as actresses, those girls had been steeped in the world of fittings. They have been really superb at figuring things out. They’re serious about this, this is their full-time job. It’s not like they’re acting or doing moonlighting. There’s only so much multitasking you can do. These girls are committed. There’s people who have lots of money and commitment, and they’re still not going to make it. That’s because they need to find the white space. The space where you can bring added value to the show and the marketplace. Tory Burch found it with a tunic top and a ballet flat! I think that a lot of designers, if they would think of the larger size market, or even the Baby Boomer marketplace — these women have more money to spend on clothes than anyone. This is an industry where you need to find a niche.
Watch: How Celebrities Like the Olsens and Victoria Beckham Became Successful Designers [theFashionDish]
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Some people feel like they’re entitled because they’re trying hard and they’ve got a good idea. Well, the marketplace will decide whether your dress is good or not. That’s the thing with these celebrities — the ones that end up having the businesses that stick are the ones whose brands come back season after season. Anyone will buy once or twice as a fan, but at a certain point people kind of decide if they’re going back to that brand or not. You know if a pair of jeans you buy, if it fits really well, washes well and makes your butt look good, you’re going to go back and buy those jeans. You won’t even try on any other brand. But once you get disappointed with that brand — you buy a cashmere sweater that pills a lot, or if you bought something and it shrank after you washed it — you’re not going back there. So, that brand is going to have to work hard to bring back your confidence. The point is that at the end of the day, this is not art that goes on a wall. These are clothes that have to be functional. They have to look good, but they have to perform. And when they do, it becomes a case like Jessica Simpson shoes. I was on CNBC the other day and Becky Quick, one of the anchors, said, “I like Jessica Simpson’s shoes because they fit well.” You don’t build a business from a fan base. You build a business like that because the product is delivering.
