New celeb fashion lines are announced often - perhaps too often - usually with that somewhat overly extended social media countdown and a glossy name which isn't actually all that glossy other than an 'X' between the celeb's name and another fast-fashion brand. Original, right? The thing is, this buzz about a new range of clothing being released seems a bit OTT for my liking, especially when there's barely anything other than a label that differentiates the new clothing from another influencer's that was only released a few months prior. So are new celeb fashion lines really all that big of a deal?
We all know what I'm talking about here. The likes of Love Island's Molly-Mae joining up with Pretty Little Thing in 2019 after leaving the Majorcan villa, along with Little Mix bringing the snakeskin to our online PLT shopping January of this year. Along the higher end of the spectrum, we've got Beyonce's 'Ivy Park' partnering with Topshop briefly back in 2016 and Rhianna's 'Fenty' last May. But when it comes down to it, what really sets these pieces of clothing apart, other than a name on a label?
Personally I never usually buy into any of it. It's just another ploy to suck us into the fast-fashion world when our interest starts to slip from another influencer's greatest collab yet *rolls eyes*. So maybe I'm being a little harsh, maybe Beyonce's Ivy Park was new and tasteful and got the fans excited. Or possibly, these clothing collabs allow celebrities to venture into other industries they otherwise would have no opportunity to in another life. But when every Love Island winner that manages to capture the nation's attention for 365 days until the next season hits our screens, collabs with any brand they can get their claws into just to have the chance to slap on '#Ad' beneath their insta posts gets kind of predictable and boring.
I mean sure, each new collab might offer a new pattern, trend or style, but most of it is literally the EXACT same as every piece the site already sells -except with a less than thrilling countdown with various shots of the micro-celeb influencer posing in them. Do the influencer's even like what they're selling? Because most of it I can guarantee even they wouldn't be seen dead in.
a bit like Tinder but for clothing
It seems society has become obsessed with becoming as close a fit to an influencer as possible, which everyone seems to believe is achieved through wearing clothes made out of cheap fabrics that a celeb most likely had no creative input apart from being presented designs they gave a yes or no to - a bit like Tinder but for clothing. The sadder side of this fact is that there are so many creative individuals out there producing incredible new lines that would shake the fashion world. But they're stuck in the shadows of those who are currently being manufactured through reality TV shows or sporting a higher Instagram follower counts.
The reality of today's fashion industry isn't a pretty one
The reality of today's fashion industry isn't a pretty one. Creative talent is useless if you don't have a pretty face and someone to pap you for your social media along with it. And even then, you could get away with just the latter if you manage to be launched into fame through other means. Want to know how to produce a successful fashion line? Scrap your uni fashion or art degree, you should be writing an application form for next season's Love Island instead if you ever want a chance to get noticed in the fashion world apparently.