Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter to sell Beyoncé’s Ivy Park line

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Ivy Park activewear

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is the latest pop singer to try her hand at fashion design with the launch of Ivy Park, a line of activewear.

Celebrities are often tapped to collaborate with designers on capsule collections, as singer Rihanna just demonstrated with her Manolo Blahnik line (see story). For Beyonce, taking creative control of the collection, similar to Rihanna’s creative role at Kering-owned Puma, authenticates the apparel and proves the seriousness of the celebrity’s fashion endeavors.

Bodies by Bey
Activewear and athleisure has surged in popularity thanks in part to designers such as Alexander Wang and even Kanye West, who works with Adidas (see story).

Ivy Park is a joint venture between Ms. Knowles-Carter and Sir Philip Green, who owns retailer Topshop. Ivy Park is on course to be a stand-alone brand, not another celebrity-backed capsule collection.

Campaign image for Ivy Park 

Ms. Knowles-Carter started the line because she was unenthused with the current market options. Due to her very busy schedule the singer often finds herself relying on activewear rather than the high-fashion ensembles she is usually photographed wearing while out or on stage.

On past tours, Ms. Knowles-Carter has been dressed by Givenchy and Versace and has worn custom Stuart Weitzman shoes (see story).

In a statement, Ms. Knowles-Carter said she hopes to “push the boundaries of the athletic wear and to support and inspire women who understand that beauty is more than your physical appearance.”

The collection is expected to launch on April 14 after 18 months of development. Ms. Knowles-Carter has selected Nordstrom, Selfridges and Net-A-Porter as the line’s retailers, as well as Sir Philip’s Topshop.

With such a diehard fan following, these retailers are likely to see increased interest in their offerings once the Ivy Park line becomes available.

Ivy Park, consisting 200 pieces, include sports bras, tops, over-the-knee varsity socks, sweats and leggings, all meant to flatter a range of body types. Pricing for the collection ranges from $30 to $200.

Campaign image for Ivy Park 

Ms. Knowles-Carter’s husband, Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, has also took his turn at designing for brands with a presence at high-end department stores.

For example, in 2013 Swiss watchmaker Hublot, together with Jay Z, unveiled two wristwatches that made up the rapper’s larger collaborative effort with department store Barneys New York to further align the watch brand with the iconic figure and the retailer.

The watches were part of Jay Z’s “A New York Holiday” capsule collection that was exclusive to select Barneys locations. Jay Z’s A New York Holiday collaboration featured multiple brands to create a total affluent lifestyle that would appeal to consumers beyond timepiece enthusiasts (see story).

from
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