Kim and Kanye or Kate Middleton? Which celebrity sells the most clothes?
THEY are the celebs whose influence is credited with injecting millions into the fashion industry because any outfit they wears becomes hot property.
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IT’S BECOME known at the Kate Middleton effect — the fairy dust the Duchess of Cambridge bestows on any fashion label she’s photographed in.
Middleton is the undisputed queen of ker-ching — her influence has been credited with injecting millions into the fashion industry because any outfit she wears becomes hot property.
Cash registers start ringing louder than Big Ben when she wears a new outfit — fans log on in legions to find the designer and the garment in question is sold out in seconds (including the Zimmermann dress she wore last year, right).
But beyond the glow bestowed by royalty, there’s a growing group of stars with real pulling power in fashion, and it includes everyone from bloggers to a First Lady.
It only takes a simple snap of these celebs to change a fashion label’s fortunes, catapulting them from obscurity to the international A-list, and it’s an effect that’s been felt by everyone in the industry, from high street labels to top Australian and international designers.
MICHELLE OBAMA
The First Lady isn’t afraid of flexing her fashion muscle in bright patterns and bold splashes of colour, and she happily traverses high street to top-tier designers.
FLOTUS has been feted for her smart fashion matches, and the more affordable outfits from retailers J. Crew, H & M and Gap have inspired buying frenzies.
KIM KARDASHIAN
With her fame a global phenomenon and an evolving sense of style that has managed to convert even some of her biggest detractors — hello Vogue magazine covers — Kimmy K can make an outfit hotter than habanera by simply stepping onto a red carpet. Her reach has been felt by local designers Bec & Bridge. Kardashian was snapped wearing one of their Heartbreaker dresses last year, which led to led to the dress selling out straight away.
KANYE WEST
Even Mr Kardashian, Kanye West, is a fashion heavyweight — his trainers sparked queues for days last month. Reports have also surfaced of a man in the US, Matt Neal, offering a coveted pair of Nike and West collaboration shoes in return for a kidney. Neal, who’s on dialysis and needs a transplant, has reportedly had a huge response from West’s fans — truly dedicated followers of fashion.
KYLIE AND KENDALL JENNER
THE influence of the Kardashian klan extends to the younger members of the family, Kendall and Kylie Jenner — between them they have tens of millions of followers on social media.
While anyone over the age of 25 might struggle to tell them apart, their fan base translates into high exposure for any fashion label they wear.
JESINTA CAMPBELL
IT makes sense, given her newly minted deal to represent David Jones, but Australian fashion labels love being worn by Jesinta Campbell. The homegrown beauty can spike a huge interest when she’s photographed wearing an outfit — even if it’s just a bikini.
JENNIFER HAWKINS
Being worn by our other department store-endorsed beauty, Hawko, can even change the direction of a collection; as Alex Perry found out when a dress he made for her was unexpectedly popular. “We dressed her in a custom black lace dress (right) for Derby Day,” Perry says. “We had so many requests that we ended up including it in the collection.”
JENNIFER LOPEZ
The power wielded by big names cuts across industries, and musicians have as much might as models. J. Lo has always made waves with her fashion choices, and the star reportedly keeps a database so she doesn’t repeat a look.
Her decision to wear an Alex Perry gown on American Idol recently gave yet more worldwide attention to the local label. “We’ve seen huge interest from dressing international stars,” Perry says. “Jennifer Lopez sparked global interest and inquiries.”
RIHANNA
RIRI gave local label We Are Handsome a helping hand when she was snapped in one of their swimsuits, but she’s equally at home with big European fashion houses.
She has just posed for a Dior campaign, hot on the heels of appearing in a Puma ad, and she’s worn Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Vivienne Westwood. From street to couture, she’s got all the bases covered.
BEYONCE
Beyonce’s also a fan of Aussie style. She’s been spotted in We Are Handsome, and loves nothing more than floating about in a Camilla caftan and Lucy Folk jewellery.
Folk, the Melbourne-based designer who made bespoke jewels for Beyonce’s Mrs Carter Tour, says she gained a huge following being associated with such a big star. Yonce’s status as pop culture phenomenon has also seen her cross over to the role of designer.
UK chain Topshop is clearly hoping to capitalise on Queen Bey’s style devotees — she’s signed up with the high street retailer to create a collection of activewear.
CHIARA FERRAGNI
Not all bloggers are created equal, and Chiara Ferragni is a standout star. No longer just posting pretty pictures of her street style, Ferragni is now a fashion designer too.
The Italian law student, who has graced the covers of magazines including Spanish Vogue, designs and sells shoes from her influential blog The Blonde Salad and boasts 4.5 million Insta followers.
NICOLE WARNE
Local fashion blogger Warne, who posts as Gary Pepper Girl, has been on the scene since 2009.
A strong visual sense sets her apart and, now boasting 1.3 million Instagram followers, couture houses have clamoured to capitalise on her clout with fans.
Warne has worked with Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Zara, modelled for Roland Mouret and featured in glossy mags across the globe.
Originally published as Kim and Kanye or Kate Middleton? Which celebrity sells the most clothes?
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