Juicy

It's like a work of art when a gorgeous celebrity dons a tailor-made garment down the red carpet, but it's not so amazing when the roles are reversed and celebrities decide to channel designers. That's exactly what's happening this spring, as there is a surge of celebs who are starting their own clothing lines. Some are worth a try and some are not worth $5, but in Hollywood, once your foot is in the door there aren't many people who could stop you.

The trend began with the ever-so-innovative Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen when they dominated the tween scene with their Wal-Mart clothing line. Since then, celebrities like Sean Combs and Jay-Z have profited immensely from their clothing companies "Sean John" and "Rocawear," respectively.

Today, it's not enough to be a double threat doing music and movies. Celebs are embracing clothing lines as another way of getting their names out there. It would be one thing if the lines were daring and innovative, but much of what we are seeing is generic, starting with Mandy Moore's line, "Mblem."

The pop singer's fashion vision was launched in 2006 and has been featured in New York magazine, InStyle and Marie Claire among other publications and television shows. It was initially launched as a vintage T-shirt collection and has evolved into what they call "fashion forward, contemporary knit wear" on the Web site. Moore received the fashion innovator award at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards in 2007, but frankly I'm not sure why.

The Spring 2008 collection includes graphic prints, spaghetti strap dresses, tunics and wrap dresses - all things we've seen on the racks for the past few years - that can run over $200. Not to mention many of them are drab, one-color items.

The Mblem clothing line can only be found in high-end retail stores in a random selection of states including Arkansas and Georgia and what their site refers to as "better" department stores like Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom.

Many watched "The Hills" star Lauren Conrad's journey to fashion stardom when she entered the Fashion Institute of Design in the show's first season. Conrad was taught by distinguished designers like Nick Verreos from season two of "Project Runway," so why does her incredibly over-priced line, aptly called "Lauren Conrad," look like something you could put together at a local K-Mart?

Her Spring collection includes trapeze dresses, leggings, an abundance of spaghetti straps and flowing tank tops in little-to-no print and color that cost over $100 - it looks like she is taking a page out of Moore's book. But there is no mistaking Conrad's line for another. With names like the "Audrina Dress," it's clear where she drew her inspiration.

Not to worry, some celebrities have taken the creative time and effort and developed some clothing lines worth scouring the Internet and boutiques for.

Justin Timberlake has been kind enough to share his love of sexy backs with the world, as he has created a chic new line of denim, called "William Rast." Obviously singing, acting and owning a restaurant aren't enough for this uber-entrepreneur.

Timberlake and fellow designer Trace Ayala offer a cut and style of jeans for every occasion for both men and women in different washes. However, wearing a Justin-worthy pair of pants will cost you about $200.

Also invested in the world of denim is Spice-Girl-turned-American-designer Victoria Beckham with her dVb line. Beckham is one of the greatest style icons we have today and, since she is almost never spotted without a trusty pair of her own dVb jeans on, I would say they are worth the investment if you have $250 lying around.

Also part of the line are her signature oversized sunglasses, perfect for eye protection of course, but they're most likely just another fashion accessory.

The largest and most versatile of all the new celebrity clothing lines is Beyonce's "House of Dereon," which ranges from infant clothing to "Curvelicious" for plus-size women.

It's safe to say most of the items are not something we would see Beyonce walking down the red carpet in, but it is wearable, inventive clothing and footwear in bright colors that is a breath of fresh air, especially when it comes to this year's mostly dark-colored spring lines.

With honorable mention, new daddy Joel Madden's DCMA collection, formerly known as MADE, has added onesies to its list of items next to brass knuckles and skull t-shirts, and the Paris Hilton Footwear Collection added the Nicole Pump, a leopard print high heel, to its list of items.

Especially this spring, it is clear that celebs are turning their own life experiences into fun and, sometimes, fashionable items for us average people. How sweet.

Contact Sara Grant at

Sara.Grant@UConn.edu.