Celebrity Clothing Hype ... The Three Brand Reviews

Celebrity clothing lines are the thing du jour and every celebrity is racing to get the bucks out of their fans by designing clothes and accessories that reflects his or her much coveted personality and lifestyle that are much copied by the countless legion of admirers.

Starting with Bronx girl Jennifer Lopez whose J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez is just a mere line of clothes purged from her overloaded hardwood walk-in closet to the animated yet lively pieces by L.A.M.B, the brainchild of super mom Gwen Stefani, celebrity clothing and accessories lines are little by little taking places in the heart of both consumers and retailers.

Today we are going to review three new celeb clothing lines that have just landed in the Tinseltown and they are Paris by the overrated and over-hyped heiress to the Hilton throne Paris Hilton, DVB by UK fashion doyenne Victoria Beckham, and Bitten by New York's legendary clotheshorse Sarah Jessica Parker.

Paris by Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton's road to fame can be considered as the easiest one. Her rise to fame began with notorious party animal behavior and a staple to the international clubbing scene. Then came The Simple Life which she co-starred with Nicole Richie followed by the world-shocking sex tape called "Paris - One Night Only' and the story goes on and on.

Only after she had successfully achieved the celebrity status and recruited thousand of young girls into her fans, Miss Hilton forayed into a number of business that includes fashion and accessories. Thanks to Parlux, she launched her fragrance line and it became a goldmine to the company.

Soon her portfolio expanded to sunglasses, watches, bags and now fashion line. Known as Paris by Paris Hilton, the line is predicted as a nearest rival to her sister Nicky Hilton's labels, Chick and Nicky Hilton Beverly Hills.

One of the much-coveted item from the line is her Paris jeans. The ink-washed skinny jeans features gold decorative stitching, a single crystal studded on golden fly button, as well as her signature on the back of the jeans. At the moment, Kitson is the sole retailer of the jeans and it sells at $85.00 a pair.

The verdict? So typical and nothing too interesting about it. The gold decor might look attractive to the eyes but I guess there are too many jeans of the same type out there that are cheaper than Miss Hilton's. The jeans, along with the rest of the brand will be launched exclusively at Kitson this August and the jeans can be pre-ordered at Kitson's online store.

My rating: ** 1/2

DVB by Victoria Beckham

The poshest of the posh in her Spice Girls' day. When Spice Girls split, Victoria Beckham nee Adams decided to settle down with then soccer player boyfriend David Beckham and started her family. With three kids in tow, the Beckhams became the pin-up family for the rich and extremely famous. She also became one of Europe's most copied style icons of all time and the most seen face at Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani and Chanel fashion shows and events.

Banking on her copious styles and fashion sense, she created a lifestyle brand called DVB. The first DVB venture with Rock Republic worked out so well but Mrs. Beckham is determined for more and started to venture out for more opportunities. After a number of ventures with Samantha Thavasa for handbags and jewelry, and Coty for fragrances, Victoria is back in the denim business with Denim by Victoria Beckham.

The DVB denim line is consists jeans in bootcut, skinny and cuffed shorts. Each jeans featured her trademark star embroidered to the rear pockets and DVB logo. Also available in the market is her collection of sunglasses which were inspired by the vintage styles and frames worn by celebrities and stars back in the 70's and 80's (think Jackie O and co.).

What's our verdict? Well, the jeans line are bland and we could not detect a special feature that could distinct her designs with other renowned labels. Like Paris, Mrs. Beckham is only banking based on her fame and not talent but the sunnies are worth buying and ultra-glamorous. It is recommended for you to stock them all!

Denim by Victoria Beckham is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Kitson Los Angeles, Selfridges in London and Colette in France. In Asia, DVB sunglasses are sold at On Pedder, Villa Moda, and Harvey Nichols.

Rating - *** for denim, ***** for sunglasses.

Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker

Everybody loves Carrie Bradshaw and everybody loves Sarah Jessica Parker. Why? Because both are the same people and whether it's in the set or out of the set, they are both known and adored for their sense of style. Fellow friend and New Yorker Narcisso Rodriguez once said that Sarah is good when it comes to mixing and matching her clothes to create a distinctive style.

Following the success of her celebrity fans who have forayed into the fashion industry, she was invited by US retailer Steve and Barry to conceive a collection of ready-to-wear and accessories using her wardrobe as the inspiration to the majority of the pieces created. Parker's debut collection, the Spring/Summer 2007 collection was a hit among fashion fans, both young and old.

With pieces starts from as low as $19.98 and less, it became one of the most sought after celebrity fashion label in the States. Currently the label is consists of t-shirts, dresses, tops, separates, shoes and bottoms that features cheeky and vintage prints, added with a little touch of class without having to burn your purses. Come August, the collection will be expanded to jeans, lingerie, sleepwear and even swimwear.

The verdict? Sarah Jessica Parker did a great job. Not only she marketed it at a low price that everyone could afford but the line too reflects the simpler yet relaxed side of the actress which not many knew. Go on with that good job, Carrie!

Rating - *****

*Photos courtesy of Steve and Barry, People.com and China Daily.

On Pedder - #02-12, Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road, Singapore 238872; Level 1, #131-132A, 125-6, Plaza Indonesia, Jalan Asia Afrika, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Harvey Nichols - The Landmark, 15 Queens Road, Central, Hong Kong.
Villa Moda - Free Trade Zone, Shuwaikh, P.O. Box 12112 Shamiya 71652; Emirates Towers Boulevard, Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O. Box 27026 Dubai; Hotel Ritz Carlton, P.O. Box 6002 Doha, Qatar.