Red State
Jessica Simpson Partners With Red Carter for Swim Collection
They may seem an unlikely pair—the Southern-belle songstress and the Miami-based swim darling known for his edgy suits and enchanting runway shows—but Jessica Simpson and Red Carter seem to making beautiful music together, if you will forgive the pun.
Debuting in December at department stores such as Macy’s and Von Maur, Carter’s take on Simpson’s swimwear is sure to appeal to fans and bathing beauties alike. Simpson, who produced her first line of swimwear in 2007, tapped the designer to design her eponymous line as an extension of her other fashion collections, which include clothing, shoes, handbags and fragrances, among other things.
The collaboration between Carter and Simpson was a long time coming.
“We had previously communicated with her master licensee about the possibility of [producing] a line for her maybe three or four years ago,” Carter said. “Obviously, there were other people in contention for the license, and someone else [got it]. But Jessica saw one of my runway shows online, I think, and they approached me again. I jumped at the chance.”
Carter—who got his start designing for brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Guess? Inc., Oscar de la Renta, Esprit, Rampage and Mossimo—grew up in Los Angeles and has quite the celebrity following. Starlets, models and celebutants such as Heidi Klum, Kim Kardashian, Rose McGowan, Hillary Duff and even Giselle Bundchen have been spotted wearing his cheeky designs. The designer, who himself has an old Hollywood look straight from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” also has experience in front of the camera. According to his bio, Carter dabbled in acting for a bit before establishing himself as swim’s “It” boy.
All this seems to have prepared him perfectly to create a line inspired by Simpson, who vacillates between sultry singer and girl-next-door charmer. Taking trend and color direction from Simpson’s master licensee, the Camuto Group, and communicating with Simpson herself, Carter has whipped up a 10-group collection of bikinis and coverups for Cruise 2010. “I’m great with direction. Jessica is very insightful, and it can only help when you have a very clear vision,” Carter said.
But a clear vision doesn’t mean narrow or boring.
The new Jessica Simpson swimwear collection has a little something for a variety of women. One group features check-print fabric reminiscent of Simpson’s stint as Daisy Duke. Another features hippie-dippie bohemian paisley prints, while still another features denim-inspired patchwork prints. A cleaner group has solid bikinis in pink, black or white with only delicate ruching and ruffles for embellishment. A group of bikinis in cabana-stripe fabrics trimmed in tiny white ruffles feels a little bit nautical and a little bit like lingerie.
“The first collection is all bikinis, but going forward, we’ll be adding different styles,” Carter said. Sizes for the collection run from extra-small through large with an American fit, meaning a little extra coverage than, say, a traditional Brazilian fit. Future seasons will see the addition of more coverups, larger sizes and more technical pieces, such as more-supportive bras for women with larger breasts. “It’s important to Jessica and I to cater to women in a variety of shapes and sizes,” Carter said.
When the suits hit stores in December, Carter fans and Simpson fans alike will be stoked to score the suits for $90 to $120 at retail. “So far, the response from buyers has been great. We’re very lucky to be able to work with Jessica on this project,” Carter said.
