Actress Jaime Pressly wants to make one thing clear before discussing her new fashion label — she means business.
“I’m not just another actress doing another clothing line. Fashion has been a passion for me since I was a child,” said Pressly, a star of the hit NBC comedy series “My Name Is Earl.” She described her interest as “a creative outlet.”
Her contemporary ready-to-wear collection is called J’aime by Jaime Pressly, a play on the French words for “I love.”
The concept isn’t exactly something that would occur to Pressly’s TV character, Joy, Earl’s money-obsessed, trashy ex-wife who once tried to make counterfeit money by copying bills at a big copy center and has even landed in jail.
The 29-year-old actress said she arrived at her fashion moment naturally and through hard work.
“I dreamed of having my own collection and attending FIT in New York,” said Pressly, who was nominated for an Emmy award this year for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy.
Pressly, a native of Kinston, N.C., became a successful runway and magazine cover model at the age of 14. She had studied dance and gymnastics for 11 years. Her modeling career led to a contract in 2001 as the spokeswoman for Liz Claiborne cosmetics and its fragrance Lucky You.
All the while, Pressly’s desire to design kept growing. She even sketches for collections between takes on television and movie sets.
“I got tired of feeling uncomfortable in so much of the clothing that’s out there and knowing in my mind that I could design something better,” she said. “And now I’m doing it. I own the company, and it is totally self-financed. We’re definitely growing the brand. There will be more categories in the next 12 to 18 months.”
She also wants to add accessories and possibly children’s wear.
“My designs are designed to flatter women of all sizes, not just women with runway bodies,” she said. “I think that’s one thing that sets my line apart from other lines out there. Plus, it’s comfortable, easy to care for and can be dressed up or down, which makes it extremely versatile for various lifestyles.”
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In recent years, many actresses and entertainers, including Hilary Duff, Gwen Stefani, Milla Jovovich and, of course, Jennifer Lopez and the Olsen twins, have launched fashion collections with ambitions to grow their brands.
J’aime by Jaime Pressly arrived last spring as a 14-piece capsule collection in only a handful of stores, and the group of pants, skirts and tops sold out. For spring 2007, there are more than 60 styles, to be rolled out in staggered deliveries for February, March and April.
The line is mostly made of versatile micro Modal, a body-flattering yet comfortable form of rayon that is soft, smooth and typically doesn’t pill, shrink or fade. Modal can also be washed and ironed.
“For spring, we’ve continued to expand the line with more silhouettes that offer comfort, style and versatility with a classic sensibility,” said Pressly, who designs the collection with in-house collaborator Jacqueline Dadon. “It’s a seasonless approach to building a wardrobe.”
With such a fashion mantra, it’s hardly surprising that Pressly’s favorite designer is Ralph Lauren, whom she praised for his unique vision of classic dressing.
For spring, J’aime by Jaime Pressly includes wrap, V-neck, Empire and tank dresses; long tunics over leggings; hoodies, capri pants, pleated miniskirts and, short- and long-sleeved tops. Wholesale prices range from $25 for cropped leggings to $75 for a long dress. The retail price range is $100 to $180, said Pressly’s spokeswoman, Megan Pope.
The collection mostly eschews prints in favor of trend-based tonal shades of pink, blue, white, red, black and olive, though for spring there are soft Asian floral prints such as cherry blossoms. The collection is carried in more than 100 contemporary specialty stores, including Cantaloup, New York; Backspace, San Francisco; Lisa Kline, M. Fredric, Dale Michele and Harmonie, all in Los Angeles; Croma, Miami; Blue Genes in Atlanta; Flirt in Dallas, and select Macy’s across the U.S. The line can be seen at jaimeclothing.com.
Pressly has designed a line of loungewear for Lisa Kline in Los Angeles to benefit the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation. It’s available exclusively at Lisa Kline boutiques and at lisakline.com for the month of October.
J’aime by Jaime Pressly is shown at wholesale in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and in Dallas at Fashion Industry Gallery, where Pressly will be guest designer and make a personal appearance during the spring market that runs Oct. 26 to 29.
She is to present her spring runway collection during Los Angeles Fashion Week on Thursday at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The show will include a performance by singer Robin Thicke.
Despite the demanding schedule for “My Name Is Earl” as well as film projects such as the forthcoming “DOA: Dead or Alive,” Pressly stays plugged in to her fashion business.
“I thrive on multitasking,” she said. “I’m much happier and in my element doing 10 things at once. I design and work on my fashion collection all the time and have integrated it into my life. When I’m on the set in my trailer, my design staff brings me sketches, swatches and sample garments to approve or make changes to. Fashion is part of my life, and I love it.”