Fame Doesn't Guarantee Success for Celebrity Fashion Lines

Fame alone isn't enough to make a celebrity fashion line a success. Over the past few years an increasing number of celebrities have tried their hand at design. Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and even pop stars Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake have all launched their own fashion lines.

But in a crowded field, celebrity designers need more than a famous name on a label to entice customers to buy their clothes. Rachel Zoe, who first shot to fame as a stylist with a hot red-carpet clientele, talked about the enormous pressure on celebrities. Tracy Taylor, the U.S. editor of NET-A-PORTER.COM, an online luxury shopping site for designer clothes and accessories, says name recognition just isn't enough.

Women's Wear Daily fashion features editor Marc Karimzadeh points to the singer and actress as a star who is practically in a class of her own when it comes to celebrity designers. Jessica and her sister Ashlee Simpson have a clothing line for pre-teen girls, also known as tweens, who are ages 7 to 12.

Under her name alone, Jessica Simpson has a collection that includes clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry and other accessories for women. She also plans to launch a maternity clothing line and one for babies. Another celebrity-turned-designer who has had great success is Victoria Beckham, formerly known as "Posh Spice" of the 1990s girl group the Spice Girls. Actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are another success story in the celebrity fashion realm and Taylor said their tailoring is what sets them apart.

The Fall 2012 runway shows started on Thursday (Feb. 9) and run through the following Thursday, Feb. 16, at Lincoln Center and other venues in New York City.