Women's Wear Daily (Sept. 12th 2006)

Gwen Stefani keeps close tabs on L.A.M.B.

Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. brand, which has been in business just three years, may be one of the most successful stories in contemporary fashion.

Sure, Stefani gives the company a built-in marketing machine because the Grammy-winning singer and actress wears the collection on tour, on the red carpet and on the streets. But in the grand scheme of things, that's just one element that helps boost the firm, which industry sources said will bring in $90 million at retail by the end of this year.

So what is L.A.M.B.'s secret? Stefani is hands-on. She is fully involved in every decision and insists that the clothing line be consistent in style and quality. That focus extends to her organizational skills. She is able to balance motherhood, marriage, singing and designing as if they're all simple.

And she has a strategy.

"The spring line is much more focused than it has been," Stefani said in an interview in her SoHo showroom, appearing calm during the tumultuous preparations for her New York Fashion Week presentation. "We were really intent to make this line wearable and were strict on making sure it was a fully cohesive line, without concentrating on that one great piece. This time, each piece is great."

When the brand was launched in 2003, many industry insiders had no doubt that Stefani's style was unique and marketable, but some thought that at a retail range of $40 to $350, her clothes might be too expensive for her young fan base. She also wanted to keep distribution on the small side, and she has been consistent about it. The brand is sold in only 275 doors worldwide.

Her plan appears to have worked, retailers said. The first sign of a success came with her first handbag collaboration with LeSportsac in 2003. That line sold out quickly, and customers demanded more. So the company quickly signed her up to design a second season. Those bags also sold out fast and even now still go on eBay for more than $300.

During the past month, Stefani has been in New York finishing her second solo album (due to drop before the end of the year) and working on L.A.M.B.'s spring collection, which she will show at New York Fashion Week on Friday during a presentation at Industria Studios. In addition, her nanny just got sick and had to fly back to Los Angeles, so her three-month-old son, Kingston, has to come to work. That part, she said, she is fine with her since she hates being without him.

"Having a nanny is like having an extra hand, but he is literally with me all the time anyway," Stefani said, showing off Kingston, who was wearing a one-of-a-kind L.A.M.B. outfit, designed just for him. "When I was pregnant, it was really hard not to drift away from everything. All I could think about was the baby. It was hard to care about anything else."

But, she insisted, she does care, and with Kingston by her side, she's hard at work in music and in fashion.

Stefani walks around her showroom, pulling some of her favorite items: a long jersey vintage-inspired print gown, a gold trenchcoat, denim shorts and retro-inspired jackets. She knows the fabric contents, where the inspirations came from ("Eighties Michelle Pfeiffer meets Jamaican rude boy") and even what she plans to wear when she starts touring again.

"I can't wait to get my body back and my legs into these shorts," she said, showing off one of her favorite pairs. Her body, by the way, seems to be in perfect shape.

"This is my favorite part. I love when Zaldy, Andrea [Lieberman] and I come together and finalize everything," Stefani said of her partnership with designer Zaldy and stylist Lieberman.

At the end of this month, Nordstrom will open a shop-in-shop for L.A.M.B. in its Savvy department at the San Francisco store. The shop, which will showcase the line on custom L.A.M.B. hangers, surrounded by logo wallpaper, is the first of its kind for Nordstrom and for L.A.M.B. On Oct. 3, Nordstrom will open another shop in its Topanga Plaza, Calif., store.

"L.A.M.B. is one of our strongest vendors in our Savvy department, largely because of our partnership with Ken Erman, the president of SkaGirl [L.A.M.B.'s apparel license]. L.A.M.B. has selective distribution and we are proud to be the largest fashion retailer carrying the collection," said Ana Swaab, corporate merchandise manager for women's contemporary at Nordstrom. "The allure and styling of the fall 2006 line is making it one of the most popular and loved collections with our customers. Customers love the design of the collection, including the vibrant graphic prints, as well as classic and feminine shapes done with a Fifties vintage feel -- all reflecting Gwen's own personal style."

The company's licensed accessories are also doing well, too. The watch line, licensed to Vestal, has been a true success story. At Nordstrom, it was the most successful watch launch ever, selling out in only two days, according to a Nordstrom spokesman. Other stores carrying the watches sold out in one week, said Lisa Jacobson, head of the branding and licensing division of United Talent Agency and managing director of L.A.M.B.

The handbags, licensed to Schifter & Partners, will hit stores earlier than expected since the demand for them is so high. The company first showed the bags to retailers in August. They were planned for a spring launch, but buyers were enthusiastic and created floor space for holiday selling. So, those will be launched in more than 200 doors (including Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Henri Bendel, Kitson, Intermix, Holt Renfrew, and Colette) on Dec. 1.

"Every season, the collection continues to evolve because of the intimate designing involvement of Gwen with Zaldy and Andrea Lieberman," Swaab said.

The company is opening more international accounts, expanding in Russia, Turkey, Kuwait, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Singapore.

"The idea is and always has been to let the line grow slowly and organically," said Jacobson. "We want to take the time to make sure we are in the right stores. We aren't in a big rush to expand."

The L.A.M.B. apparel collection retails from $65 to $850. Bags retail from $250 to $850 and watches , from $195 to $675. Next up, Stefani said she hopes to launch a full shoe line to add to the sneakers, which are licensed to Royal Elastics.

But for now, she's still pulling her spring presentation together. Then, she's headed to London on Saturday to "show off the baby" to relatives in the U.K.