Pop music can be a transitory and unforgiving business. If you don’t or can’t reinvent yourself – your style, music, and presentation – every few albums or few years, expect to become “old news” in a hurry. Billy Joel put it best in “The Entertainer” when he said without a hit he’ll end up in the bargain bin, no matter how successful he was with prior efforts. But, there is one former pop princess that has seemingly mastered reinvention.
Jessica Simpson transitioned her pop music fame into her own popular reality show before landing a role in a movie or two. But pop star to pop culture punchline in a cheesy TV show has been done to death, so no big deal there. Realizing quickly her acting career was a nonstarter – or maybe just tired of the trappings that come with that level of exposure – Simpson looked for another way to trade on her famous name.
Fashion immediately came to mind. Now, again, lots of pop stars get sidetracked into fashion, but few have what it takes to make it last. Simpson, apparently, has the chops – and the team – to make it in the cutthroat world of apparel. According to Bloomberg, Simpson’s fashion line brings in about $1 billion in sales annually. Yes, with a “B.”
That’s incredible success when you consider how many of her contemporaries have tried and failed to make it in fashion. Ever hear of Mblem, Heidiwood, LAMB or DW? Yeah…it’s pretty clear this job isn’t for everyone.
What makes Jessica different? According to Simpson, she has the insight to understand what her customers are looking for, whether she’s a teen looking for hot accessories, a gal after something sexy or their gramma wanting something to wear to the community dance. At last year’s Forbes Power Women Summit, Simpson said her success comes down to understanding women and “having every size on the planet.”
That’s a huge sales key. Where some lines discriminate on purpose or by default, Simpson – who has undergone her own very public size shifts – sympathizes with women who hate shopping because if they can find something that fits it’s not something they want to wear. Instead of telling the public what they should want or how to feel about themselves, she offers them something they are looking for that will make them feel the way they want to feel.
It is apparently a billion dollar idea.
