I just found this on atu2.com
Celebrity Designs Wear Out Their Welcome
New York Post, May 17, 2006
Suzanne Kapner
Backed by one of the world's sexiest rock stars and with the added inducement of benefiting a worthy cause, the Edun line of clothing should have been a big hit.
Instead, in what is turning out to be a growing downside for celebrity-driven clothing labels, Edun, which is backed by U2 front man Bono and aims to bolster economies in developing countries by eschewing sweatshops, is floundering.
Sales of Edun, now in its third season, are below plan at major retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, while specialty stores around the country, including Tootsies in Houston and Butter in Brooklyn, said they have dropped the line.
The problems facing Edun have become a common refrain in the world of celebrity designers -- an area that once held all the promise of a blockbuster but has recently produced flop after flop.
Though celebrities are often touted as being intimately involved with their labels, in reality that is rarely the case. Moreover, most celebrities don't wear clothes from their own labels, further hurting the image of their brand.
"The American consumer tends to prefer fashion designers to celebrities when it comes to clothing and accessories," said Marc Beckman, founder of Designers Management Agency, which represents fashion designers. Edun tried to avoid some of those problems by hiring a respected designer, Rogan Gregory, known for his Rogan denim line.
But the company's eco-friendly approach created other obstacles. The use of factories in Africa and Latin America, rather than Europe and Asia, where most clothing is made, resulted in problems with the fit.
And Edun's refusal to use sweatshop labor, while commendable, meant its prices weren't as competitive as those of some rivals.
"We have chosen the more difficult route of production, but one we are 100 percent committed to," said Edun spokeswoman Bridget Russo. "Like all new fashion companies, we have experienced bumps in the road, but with each season we make progress and improvements to both fits and design."
Edun isn't alone in its struggles. Celebrities ranging from Jessica Simpson, who is the subject of a $100 million lawsuit over her troubled apparel line, to Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who recently discontinued an upscale women's line, have struggled with the sometimes fickle, often cutthroat world of fashion.
"The celebrity designer phenomenon may have peaked," said Michael Fink, Saks' senior fashion director. "People are discovering you need more than a big name to break through."
Even some manufacturers, who had rushed to cash in on the celebrity craze only to get burned, have changed their tune.
Gerard Guez, the chairman and founder of Tarrant Apparel, which is suing Simpson and also ended a licensing agreement to produce clothes for Beyonce over "creative differences," said he's finished with celebrity labels.
"Our focus now will be on real brands," Guez said.
All of this is not to say that the occasional celebrity can't design great clothes. Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. line is a notable exception, several retailers said.
But as Bloomingdale's Frank Doroff puts it, "We have departments to sell clothes, not celebrities."
© NY Post, 2006.