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Designers find inspiration from the world around them, but singer Gwen Stefani got the idea for her clothing line from her own hit album, "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." Ska, pop and rock steady songstress Gwen Stefani brings her signature styles to the masses with L.A.M.B., her own clothing and handbag line.
History
Gwen Stefani, the front woman of No Doubt. created the L.A.M.B. clothing line in 2003, but the line didn't hit the stage at New York Fashion Week until 2006. Originally, Stefani's handbag designs were released in stores as a collaboration with bag label, LeSportsac, but the bags were so popular, Stefani broke out on her own. Stefani's iconic fashion style, featuring bold colors and black-and-white patterns, created a major splash, especially among girls in their teens and 20s.
Collections
Although Stefani started with LeSportsac, L.A.M.B. has collaborated with several other labels, including shoe company Royal Elastics and fragrance maker Coty Inc. L.A.M.B. has released clothing collections that are inspired by the styles of different countries, including Japanese, Indian and Jamaican. The early collections featured a punky, younger looking style, featuring mostly black-and-white runway collections. In 2011, Stefani opted to create more sophisticated, flowing dresses with bold, bright patterns and colors for L.A.M.B.
Connection to Music
The success of L.A.M.B. has not signaled the end of the diva's music career. Stefani blends fashion salesmanship into her music. In the song "Crash" on the "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." album, Stefani refers to the clothing line, singing, "I want you all over me like L.A.M.B." Stefani uses her bold, in-your-face aesthetic in both her music and clothing, allowing hardcore fans to pick up her look and her CD in the same store.
Harajuku Lovers
In 2005, Stefani released a less expensive version of her L.A.M.B. clothing line, called Harajuku Lovers. Harajuku Lovers is based on the bright, punky clothing styles in Japan, and features a line of bold costume jewelry. The name Harajuku Lovers was derived from the song "Harajuku Girls," also on the "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." album.
