Stella McCartney To Guest-Design for Nelson Mandela 46664 Clothing Line?
Could Stella McCartney already have a new project lined up after her gig designing costumes for the New York City Ballet?
The British designer is rumored to be the first in a series of guest-designers for the just-launched clothing line 46664 Apparel, which takes inspiration from Nelson Mandela and is overseen by his charitable foundation.
Though McCartney's involvement has yet to be confirmed, Wayne Bebb, managing director of licensee Brand ID, tells Women's Wear Daily that he'd be happy to have her on board.
"We would of course be honored to have someone of Ms. McCartney’s standing aligned to this incredible brand," Bebb says of the designer, whose father Paul wrote a song for the former South African's AIDS charity in 2003.
For now, the label—named after Mandela's Robben Island prisoner ID number and poised to become South Africa's first global apparel brand—is designed locally and features African-influenced casualwear for men and women.
"We have shweshwe-print shirts for men, using fabric manufactured in South Africa, as well as men’s jeans and chinos with quirky details to be discovered," says Bebb. "Superb fit, quality styling and manufacturing, plus a combination of updated classic wardrobe-building items along with fashion-forward garments built around intrinsically African color and detail are all signatures of the brand.”
And though it's hard to picture the 93-year-old Mandela in a green-check button-down or hot pink shorts, the line's printed shirts, Technicolor palette, and preppy-chic styles should appeal to a wide audience.
Described as "clothing with a conscience," 46664's price points start at $26 for a t-shirt. Currently sold throughout South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, the label will introduce e-commerce in mid-November and launch internationally in 2012.
Meanwhile, Dolce & Gabbana is discontinuing its D&G line.
