“This makes me want to throw up on the spot!” If anyone other than Gwen Stefani utters those words, it’s a very bad thing. But tumbling from her lips, it translates as: “I like. I like very much.”
Right now, the hyphenated entertainer — lead singer of No Doubt, fashion designer and Hollywood actress — is fingering a 3-by-3-inch swatch of multicolored striped cotton, wondering if it will fit into her spring 2006 L.A.M.B. collection, her fifth since launching the label in 2004. Forget the rock superstardom, forget having Galliano on her speed dial, forget the acting debut in a Scorsese flick. Gwen the Garmento is Stefani’s reality right now. And with L.A.M.B., she’s proving that her design efforts aren’t merely a marketing ploy — the line’s success has more to do with interest from the fashion flock than her fan base.
In town for press appearances to promote her solo album, “L.A.M.B.,” released in November, Stefani is also taking the opportunity to meet in her airy SoHo showroom with her creative team — designer Zaldy and stylist Andrea Lieberman — to present fall’s collection to buyers and editors. Elbow-deep in swatches and sketches, the trio is editing possible fabrics.
When Stefani likes a swatch, she meows. Literally. Or lets out a one-off Gwen-ism — “Don’t even be jealous” or “I don’t think you understand how much of a love situation this is” — that doesn’t necessarily make sense but perfectly gets the point across that she’s happy. For every purr, Zaldy rattles off the fabric’s technical details and marks it with a silver marker. Lieberman then studies it closely before putting it in a “maybe” pile.
“What about viscose?” the platinum pop star asks, rifling through the heap. “I’m a viscose junkie. I love the way she hangs,” referring to fabrics in the feminine. This time, Stefani doesn’t find a viscose, but she does find a white slub that elicits a meow. “OK, when we get to London,” Stefani interrupts the session after almost an hour, “we’re going to jam again.” That means finalizing the technical drawings and sending fabrics for sampling.
Later in the visit, Stefani and her crew, including Ken Erman, president of Ska Girl, L.A.M.B.’s licensee, and Lisa Jacobson, her business adviser and United Talent agent, take New York buyers through the fall lineup of pirate-inspired fare. There are Donegal plaid pieces, cropped cashmere sweaters with sparkle buttons, a beautifully cut wool coat with removable ruffled details and shredded tailored jackets. “It seems to be amazing,” says Saks Fifth Avenue senior fashion director Michael Fink, who is particularly impressed with the outerwear. “Big shawl collars, princess seaming — it’s right on trend.”
Retailers and customers alike seem to appreciate the attention to detail, especially the silk hangtags designed by graphic artist John Copeland that change from season to season. “It’s almost like a collector’s item,” says Ana Swaab, Savvy National Merchandise Manager at Nordstrom.
Gilhart thinks the fact that Stefani has pulled off much more than just a novelty celeb-designed line makes complete sense. “She knows how to develop things — she’s been in the music business for what, 15 years?” Gilhart asks. “Gwen has that learning curve of knowing that you start something, you develop it, you give it attention.”
As her tour of tv shows and market appointments prove, Stefani is juggling a lot with L.A.M.B., her music and her marriage to Gavin Rossdale. But she maintains that she’s fired up to keep going, especially with the pending launch of a small sneaker line, licensed through Royal Elastics, and a self-imposed deadline to hit the New York runways in September. “I feel like everything I’ve done so far has kind of been the baby in the belly,” she says. “Right now, I’m ready to do the show because it feels so exciting around here, like it’s about ready to explode.
“L.A.M.B. is becoming more and more sophisticated because we’re becoming more and more experienced,” she goes on. “I never dreamed…I never had the goal that I would actually do a fashion show. I really didn’t think I would get to that point. I mean, I’m used to being in a band 18 years before getting noticed.”
While she’s already brainstorming about models, hair, makeup and presentation, she says she has a few things in the collection to iron out. Namely: denim.
“Everyone warned me that denim is really hard and I was like, ‘Whatever. It’s denim. Do it,’” she says, pausing before adding, “It’s really hard.” She’s proud of what’s she’s done so far with the “high-heeled jeans,” a dark wash with dropped back pockets that sits low on the hips. “They’re so flattering,” she says, standing up to show off the pair she’s wearing. “When I feel fat, I put them on and I feel a little bit skinnier.” But, by her own estimation, the back pockets are a little off and she aims to fix that for spring.
“I’m learning — the collaboration thing,” she says. “The more the merrier, don’t be an egomaniac about an idea that you didn’t come up with, because the whole idea is yours. The whole thing is your baby, and it’s all about bringing people under the umbrella.”