Jennifer Lopez on New Kohl’s Venture, Past Fashion Failures
Her Sweetface label may be kaput and the JLO line no longer sold in the U.S., but you can expect great things from Jennifer Lopez’s upcoming Kohl’s lifestyle collection. The superstar will be in total control of her new fashion line and hopes to emulate Jessica Simpson’s $750 million empire.
In an interview with the New York Times, Lopez admits she was hurt by the failure of her clothing line. In 2001, she débuted JLO, with Sweetface launching two years later. Originally an urban-streetwear collection, Sweetface transformed into a high-end range that was criticized for being expensive and poorly made. In 2007, she closed JLO in the U.S., distributing it only internationally, then introduced justsweet, which lasted just a few seasons. In 2009, she halted production of Sweetface for good.
“That was sad for me,” the L’Oréal Paris spokesmodel says. “I just felt like I never got a fair chance to do it right. And on top of it, I felt like I was trapped in a situation I couldn’t get out of, and my name was stamped on things that I didn’t believe in.”
But that’s all about to change with her Kohl’s line, which includes the Jennifer Lopez collection of dresses, sportswear, shoes, handbags and sleepwear, as well as a home range of towels, bedding and luggage (hubby Marc Anthony will have his own menswear line).
Tommy Hilfiger, who is a partner in the Kohl’s deal with Lopez and Anthony, tells the New York Times, “The difference this time around is that Jennifer is fully engaged with a company that is professionally staffed to really develop anything she wants, from towels to knee-high suede boots. Literally, her wish is their command.”
And her wish, according to the newspaper, is to build a Simpson-esque lifestyle brand geared toward bargain shoppers.
“She lives fashion,” Hilfiger, whose younger brother, Andy, oversaw the Sweetface line, says of Lopez. “Her eyes light up when you ask her what kind of shoes she’s wearing. Louboutins, naturally.”
Or “Lopezes,” as the case may be when the Jennifer Lopez collection arrives in Kohl’s stores this fall.
