Nicky, Gwen & JLo

July 05, 2008

Though many celebrities have tried their hand in fashion design, they have met with varying levels of success. Nicky Hilton, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez are three women who have turned their fashion aspirations into successful business enterprises.


Nicky Hilton

Nicky Hilton is more than just Paris Hilton's sister. She is a successful business woman and fashion designer. Born Nicholai Olivia Hilton on October 5, 1983 in New York City, Nicky Hilton started her career as a model but soon branched out into clothing designing.

Her first foray was as a handbag designer in 2002 for Samantha Thavasa, a company based in Japan. These colorful and youthful bags inspired her to launch her own line, Chick by Nicky Hilton.

Chick is a casual line of chic clothing that is very youthful and has been modeled by both Nicky and her famous older sister, Paris. The line was launched in 2004 and regularly produces daring and cutting edge urban looks.

In 2007, Hilton decided to go for a higher-end label and launched Nicholai, so named after her own first name but also in honor of her grand uncle Conrad "Nicky" Hilton, who died fourteen years before Nicky was born. The line debuted at New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in the fall of 2007.

Gwen Stefani

Born October 3, 1969 in Fullerton, California, Gwen Stefani started her career as the lead singer of ska punk band No Doubt.

Influenced by then-boyfriend Tony Kanal's Indian heritage, Stefani began to wear a bindi, and helped popularize the look during the success of the band's breakthrough album, "Tragic Kingdom." From these early days as a fashion trendsetter came the desire to start her own line of clothing.

Her first line, L.A.M.B debuted in 2003, right before the release of her first solo album, "Love Angel Music Baby," which is what L.A.M.B stands for. The high-end collection included clothes and accessories that were influenced by Stefani's irreverent style and attitude.

Two years later she started the Harajuku Lovers line, which she says is a "glorified merchandise line." It included a set of Love.Angel.Music.Baby dolls that featured the Harajuku Girls, who Stefani toured with extensively in support of her album. The also appeared on the cover of the album and had the tour named after them.

The lines contain a lot of Asian influence, with the Harajuku Lovers being a reference to the Harajuku Station in Tokyo, Japan. The Asian aesthetic is mixed with more classic and chic influences for a unique look that has made the two lines one of the most successful of the ever-growing number of celebrity fashion labels.

Jennifer Lopez

Born July 24, 1969 in South Bronx, New York, Jennifer Lopez started her illustrious multi-dimensional career as a backup dancer. Appearing in music videos and the television show "In Living Color," she soon branched out into movies and song, for which she became famous. Always known as an influencer of fashion, JLo (as she was once called) wore an infamous floral green dress to the Grammys that barely covered her assets, and she was after that as well known for her fashion choices as her work.

The first line, JLO by Jennifer Lopez was launched in 2003. Not one to think small, Lopez went all-out for the label, producing womenswear, coats, belts, gloves, jewelry, purses, hats, scarves and lingerie. Though highly successful, Lopez retired the line just four years later to concentrate on her burgeoning skills as a perfume designer and to launch Just Sweet, the junior's line of clothing that was kin to Sweetface, her second line launched in 2005.

Because of Lopez's film and music success, there was already much fanfare for her first label. Even with the success of all three of her labels, it is her line of perfumes that has earned her acclaim in the fashion and beauty world. The line started with Glow by JLo, which has inspired several offshoots including Miami Glow, Love at First Glow and Glow after Dark. Other perfumes include Still, Live Luxe and Deseo.