May, 2008

When will it stop?  Why do celebs think they can design clothes?  *Sigh*  Excerpts from the full article, available on WWD.com.

As for what LL Cool J knows about women’s apparel, the hip-hop artist insists he’s had plenty of experience. “I was raised by a matriarch, I have a wife and three daughters, so I know what women are looking for when they shop for clothes,” he said. “My main concern with juniors is to make sure the fit is right. The fabrics have to feel nice on a woman’s body, but sizing and fit are very important. I know that if she comes in, puts it on and it doesn’t fit, she won’t come back. Clothes have to make a woman feel good, relaxed and sexy. We are going to be constantly looking at fine-tuning the fit and we’ll get it right.”

The collection will retail on the higher end of its mix in juniors — from $22 for a graphic T-shirt to $50 for a pair of jeans. Evidence of LL Cool J’s involvement is evident throughout — from an embroidered tattoo on the back of a jacket to song lyrics printed on a T-shirt.

“Tough economic times create evolution and we are going to take the steps to develop and make us right for our customers,” Neger said.

“We are going to take a lot more risks in juniors,” he said. “It’s all about style, quality and value in juniors and we plan to move quickly, reacting to the trends and constantly have new merchandise on the floor.”

If the brand is well received, it would be a much-needed boost for Sears after a tough year financially. The firm’s fiscal 2007 financial performance fell below expectations and Sears Holdings emerged from the holiday season with excess inventory, particularly in apparel, leading to costly markdowns.

“I have always had a hand in fashion in some capacity [as the face of brands such as Kangol and Fubu], but I have never embraced a brand the way I will embrace this,” LL Cool J said. “The LL Cool J name is a brand I have been building for 25 years and I didn’t want to do this line with just any store.”

“It’s all about making the great life attainable,” LL Cool J said.

And I laugh out loud.  It seems to me that the burner hasn’t been on in his career for a great while now! Bite now while someone’s paying LL!

What do you think of the new LL Cool J’s new line?  Will it sell – is LL even relevant any longer in the hip hop community?