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Did Kate really set pen to paper?

Posted in General, Marketing, Nikki Preston May 2nd, 2007 by Nikki Preston

The latest Moss Mania hitting the high street this week goes to show that the distinction between model, endorser and fashion designer are getting decidedly blurred.

Despite Top Shop’s cunning attempt to make us think that Kate actually pulled out a pencil and paper and sketched up the designs – technically Kate only signed the styles off and gave some input. Because aside from what Top Shop would like to make you think - it takes more than two decades of getting photographed wearing clothes to make a fashion designer.

For Kate Moss the £3 million deal with Top Shop seems to be just another modelling job. She’s already the face of Burberry and low-cost cosmetic brand Rimmel so the only difference this time is that Top Shop has also paid royalties to use her name as a brand.

Top Shop is not the only retailer to launch clothing ranges by using celebrities impersonating designers. Earlier this year H&M launched a sell-out range “by Madonna” adding the title designer to her list of seemingly unlimited talents including pop star, author and model mother.

H&M has also lined Kylie up for a swimwear collection – it seems like creating fashion is as easy as ABC and further cements ones’ star status.

Not to be left out New Look uses Kelly Brook to model “her own” swim wear range and in a couple of weeks Lily Allen will be the latest celebrity with her own rock chick clothing range.

So have these high street retailers held interviews and finally found some fresh new designer talent in the form of celebrities – or is the term “designer” simply a more glamorous term for celebrity endorser?