Summer Johnson’s back-to- school wardrobe includes shiny wet-looking leggings, a tie-dye camisole and basic tees — all part of a new collection by Miley Cyrus and designer Max Azria at Wal-Mart.
Stores are hoping a touch of star quality will isnpire back-to-school shoppers — and their parents — to look beyond basics and seek out clothing lines with ties to celebrity actors and singers, from clean-cut Disney shows to the racier “Gossip Girl.”
Johnson, a 22-year-old college student from suburban St. Louis, was drawn to the Cyrus collection’s rock-star edge and under $20 prices, but the star power didn’t hurt.
“Celebrities are great, but I go toward a celebrity line because they’re reading up on fashion, teaming up with a good designer,” she said. “They know a thing or two about fashion. They’re our fashion template.”
And the templates abound. A “JONAS” line, inspired by the television show featuring the Jonas Brothers, mixes prep school styles with a rocker twist. A second Disney line based on the show “Wizards of Waverly Place” is being billed as a “boho chic” collection including tunic-length tops with print scarves and miniskirts that draw inspiration from the show’s Alex Russo character, who happens to be played by Selena Gomez, the newly named Teen Choice red-carpet fashion icon. They’re selling at J.C. Penney, Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and Target.
Star power alone won’t sustain a successful clothing line. “I’ve seen the peaks and valleys of it,” said Tina Knowles, the mother of singer and actress Beyonce. Tina Knowles serves as creative director for Dereon, a clothing line that draws from her famous daughter’s style. “The celebrity being attached is a plus, but the clothes have to be good quality,” she said.
Customers respond to Beyonce, but they come back when they like the fit, style and value, Knowles said.
This fall, the Dereon line includes a Sasha Fierce collection with some back-to-school looks inspired by Beyonce’s tougher, alter-ego character.
Not all of it screams classroom, but pieces that would make a splash at school include skinny jeans, a houndstooth-print jacket and a lightweight leather jacket that Knowles calls one of her favorites. Sasha Fierce items sell for $25 to $125, and are currently available at some specialty retailers and about 100 Macy’s Inc. stores.
Another line that’s new for back-to-school is “Mad Style for True Jackson,” designed by Jane Siskin, perhaps best known for her work on 7 for All Mankind’s famously fitting jeans. The “Mad Style” clothes at Wal-Mart draw from Nickelodeon’s popular tween show, “True Jackson, VP,” which stars young actress Keke Palmer, whose character lands a dream job as a vice president at a fashion company.
“The thing that excited me was to bring fashion to a tween customer in a collection and in a way that’s already styled,” Siskin said. A gray V-neck dress, for instance, includes a built-in plaid shirt underneath and a black-patent belt with silver charms hanging from it for $12.
Palmer, the tween star of True Jackson, says she’s thrilled about the line. “Wow, words cannot express how exciting it is to know that little girls will be wearing clothes that originated from the show, amazing!” she said by e-mail.
Celebrity clothing lines don’t capture all shoppers’ interest in the same way.
With clothes selling, in some cases, for just a few dollars, industry watchers say it’s safe to say a lot of celebrity lines were manufactured to catch a right-now trend and not intended to last forever.
And if people don’t like a star, they’re probably not going to like the clothes.
An older back-to-school shopper like Johnson says she gets interested based on a designer’s reputation — she knew of Azria, for instance, from his stylish BCBG clothes. She’s not a huge Cyrus fan, but assumes she’ll get trendy looks at good prices when a star works with a designer and a mass retailer.
A high schooler might follow a celebrity’s look in magazines and on the Internet and then shop for a similar style. And young tweens respond to a show, its storyline and its fictional characters, not so much the real-life performers.
“As long as the shows are relevant, the products are relevant,” said Disney Consumer Products’ vice president for global fashion and home, Pamela Lifford. She said Hannah Montana clothes, from the popular series starring Cyrus, continue to “go strong.” And back-to- school shoppers waiting for the next big thing need only wait, oh, a couple of weeks.
Target is unveiling a line by designer Anna Sui inspired by the “Gossip Girl” television show from Sept. 13-Oct. 17 in more than 600 stores. And in October, Nordstrom will offer “Twilight: New Moon”-inspired apparel.
Like anything that’s tied to what’s hot at the moment, it’s hard to predict the staying power of clothing lines with celebrity ties.
Earlier this year, Jennifer Lopez’s contemporary “Sweetface” line went on hiatus, though there was talk of a later relaunch. A phone call to “Sweetface” was not returned.
Shopping for a computer
If it’s time to shop for a new computer, consider these points, from Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle:
What to buy: In the choice between a Mac and a PC, I’d suggest a Mac. Apple computers can run both Windows and Mac OS X, but PCs cannot run the Mac OS.
Hardware: Desktop or notebook? Given the nature of student life, strongly consider the latter. A notebook takes up minimal space and is easily portable. Research says that notebooks account for 80 percent of computers sold in retail stores.
Safety tip: Notebooks are a magnet for thieves, so protect them.
Most have a small slot that works with a computer lock, which is similar to a bicycle lock and allows you to immobilize a notebook on a desk. Buy one of those, and purchase theft insurance.
Ask for a discount: Many computer makers offer an educational discount, which varies based on the manufacturer and the model. You may be able to go through your child’s school website, or find an educational store on the PC maker’s site.
Processors: Budget buyers should look for systems with processors that run at 1.8 GHz or faster. Processor types to look for include AMD’s Sempron, Athlon and Athlon X2; on the Intel side, you’ll find Intel Core and Celeron. In a thinner, lighter road machine, you’ll want a slightly faster processor, starting at 2.0 GHz. Look for AMD Athlon X2, Turion and the new Athlon Neo, and Intel’s Core and Core 2 Duo processors.
Memory: Buy as much as you can afford or as the computer will hold. You won’t regret it. The absolute minimum should be 2 gigabytes.Desktop-replacement buyers should get at least 3 GB.
Hard drive: Because prices on external hard drives have dropped dramatically, it’s not always crucial to have a massive drive in your notebook. If you need to store large files, just buy an external drive — you can get 500 GB for less than $100.
Optical drive: With the ubiquity of broadband Internet connections and big hard drives, optical drives — CD and DVD drives — may be less crucial. If you’re a budget buyer, you’ll want a DVD burner. Desktop-replacement shoppers will also want a DVD burner, but they may also want to consider one that will play Blu-ray movie discs.
Connectivity: Nearly all notebooks come with Wi-Fi adapters, and at the very least they use the 802.11g protocol. But users of desktop-replacement notebooks will want the 802.11n version, which is faster and has greater range. All users should get an Ethernet port, and desktop-replacement users should consider Gigabit Ethernet.
Expandability: Budget and road-warrior systems should have at least two USB 2.0 ports, and add one more for desktop replacements.
Packing up
These days backpacks aren’t just for carrying books. They are yet another way to express our personality.
GRADE-SCHOOL STUDENTS
A mainstay for the elementary-school bunch is backpacks of their favorite on-screen characters. This means “High School Musical” and “Transformers” will make as big a splash in school hallways as they did at the box office.
THE MIDDLE-SCHOOL CROWD
Girls will want backpacks that are feminine yet practical. A hot-pink JanSport can hold all those bulky textbooks while maintaining a girly vibe. Guys need a bag that will hold their gear — while looking cool.
HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS
Girls can enjoy roaming the halls with trendy totes while guys hang on to their Swiss Gear bags, which are comfortable and roomy enough for everything, including a compartment for a laptop and a headphone port.
Tessa Aguilar, Houston Chronicle
