Country Singers Launch New Fashion Lines
Country Music Stars Toby Keith & Taylor Swift Debut Spring Apparel
Platinum-selling country stars Toby Keith and Taylor Swift have joined the growing list of celebrities to expand their name recognition and star-brand power by creating their own line of fashions.
On Feb. 1, 2009, the 19-year-old Swift--who’s literally taken not just country, but pop culture at large by storm since her arrival on the scene a couple years back--officially unveiled her new sundress line, which is being overseen by the Jones Apparel Group's L.e.i. brand. (L.e.i. is an acronym that stands for life, energy, intelligence.)
Country Singer Taylor Swift Strives to Keep Clothing Affordable
Often seen in airy sundresses during photo shoots, public appearances and in concert, a sundress line seems to be a natural fit for the fashion-forward Swift, whose attire will be sold exclusively through Wal-Mart outlets and economically priced at around $14.
According to a Jan. 29, 2009, report in Women’s Wear Daily, the under-$20 sundresses will be available in February in three styles: a tie-back dress, a printed tie-back dress and a printed tier dress. Then, on March 1, 2009, two added styles are set to be delivered. Additionally, Swift—who first began working with L.e.i. last year after starring in its denim campaign--will be featured in the ad campaign to promote her own L.e.i. Sundresses by Taylor Swift line.
"It was very important for me to create cute, affordable dresses,” Swift has said. “Especially in these hard times, making expensive dresses just doesn't make any sense."
Jack Gross, group chief executive officer for the jeanswear division at Jones, in his interview with WWD, said the company considered teaming with a number of different people. However, he noted, “Since we are partners with Wal-Mart, it was very important for us to find someone with a good reputation and someone who we didn’t have to be afraid of getting any bad press,” making Swift ideal.
A resident of Hendersonville, Tenn., Swift—who even has a line of Swift-inspired dolls in her honor, courtesy of toymaker JAKKS—says she will wear the sundresses not only in the ad campaign, but also throughout the spring and summer months, including during her upcoming Fearless Tour, which will get under way beginning Feb. 10, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas.
Country Music Stars Says Fashion Designs Represent Their Country Style
"These are my favorite things to wear,” she noted, referring to the dresses. “When we were designing them, we had so many ideas to work from, and it came down to creating dresses that I would wear. If I couldn't see myself wearing them, I wasn't interested in making them."
Meanwhile, multi-media star Toby Keith, who made his mark first as a country singer and songwriter, and now, as a fashion-forward entrepreneur, will reveal his new men’s line, TK Steelman, on Feb. 18, 2009, in Las Vegas at his own Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill venue in Harrah's Las Vegas.
The launch of the Oklahoma hitmaker’s fashion line for men ages 25-54 was planned to coincide with the annual MAGIC Marketplace convention, a fashion extravaganza event, that will be conducted Feb. 17-19 in Las Vegas. Additionally, according to press reports, Keith’s TK Steelman line will boast a strong prescience during the event.
Toby Keith Debuts 'Country-Sexy' Menswear Clothing Line in Las Vegas
Developed in partnership with Royal Merchandising Group—a company that already produces merchandise for the country star’s restaurants—the TK Steelman clothing line will feature long-sleeve shirts, T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, jeans, cowboy hats, baseball caps, bandanas, belts, and leather wrist straps, all of which will be “moderately priced,” according to early reports.
“Part rocker and part biker,” and with a “country-sexy” look is how the renegade-imaged Keith has described the influences he brought from his own wardrobe and sought to have represented within the line, including oilfield imager in the brand’s logos. Additionally, Keith specifically requested that the line boast more sleeveless shirts—something the singer is known for donning—as a nod to the fact he has personally removed the sleeves from so many of his own shirts.
Each item in the line was personally approved by the blond country artists. Those in search of the TK Steelman line, which is slated to ultimately include fashions for women after its initial launch, can expect its distribution to include stores such as such as Kohl's, Target, Wal-Mart and Macy's, for starters
Although pop stars and other celebrities have been present on the fashion scene for years, only recently have country music artists begun to secure a higher profile within the mainstream fashion market. Reba McEntire, for instance, launched her own REBA brand, a line that includes clothing, footwear, home collections and other products, a few years back, but country’s surge in popularity has likely bolstered the genre’s representation in other areas, including within the fashion arena.
Sources
Kaplan, Julee. Taylor Swift Launches Sundress Line, Women’s Wear Daily, posted online Jan. 29, 2990, at http://www.wwd.com/markets-news/taylor-swift-does-dresses-1955844.
Swift to be Face of L.e.i.'s 'This is L.e.i. Country' Back-to-School Campaign, May 13, 2008, press release. Accessed online Feb. 1, 2009, at http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?GUID=5454413&Page=MEDIAVIEWER.
Toby Keith launches Fashion Line, Jan. 28, 2009 press release via e-mail communication.
Toby Keith launches TK Steelman fashion line.
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Taylor Swift was the star of L.e.i.'s deim ads.
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Taylor Swift's sundress line debuts Feb. 1, 2009.
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