LONDON — Jerry Hall already has one of the most famous pair of legs in the fashion world, but now the model and rock muse has gone a step further and teamed up with British hosiery brand Charnos to create a signature line.
The Jerry Hall Collection is made up of five groups tailored to different aspects of Hall’s lifestyle and her insistence on quality.
“I’m surprised when I see a woman wearing an elegant outfit, which has cost hundreds of dollars, and then she has a nasty pair of $4 tights. The whole effect is lost,” Hall said. “I’m from Texas, where women are renowned for their elegance and style, so I was brought up to know that quality hosiery is an essential.”
The Retail Therapy group features opaque designs in black, chocolate, russet and truffle. Boardroom has fishnet and seamed styles. Party has fashion-led stripes and sheers, while Premiere consists of hosiery with lace detail and Boudoir features traditionally sexy lace-topped stockings and hold-ups.
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“We wanted to bring something unique to the hosiery market and we saw that in the lingerie world, celebrity lines like Love Kylie and Elle Macpherson Intimates were storming off the shelves,” said Debbie Camina, sales and marketing director at Charnos. “Jerry practically bit our hands off when, after we did a one-off launch with her, we suggested creating a line together.”
Camina added that Hall’s genuine passion for hosiery made her an obvious choice to front a new collection.
“Also, as she’s an internationally known American — her image will allow the [collection] to travel to the U.S,” she said.
Still new to the hosiery business, Hall admitted she was an eager student. She may not have designed the line, but she was involved in deciding on its fabrics and colors.
“I’ve had no real experience in hosiery before this collaboration, other than wearing it,” Hall said. “The Charnos designers gave me advice about trends for the autumn season, and we sat with products strewn all over the floor, picking styles that I liked the look, feel and color of. I was like a child in a sweetshop.”
Seasonal changes will be introduced into trendier lines like Retail Therapy and Party, but Premiere and Boudoir are likely to become core collections.
“We wanted to create a [line] that would close the gap between standard hosiery and premium brands like Wolford,” said Camina. “We want the [Jerry Hall] Collection to have a more indulgent feel than our Charnos core [line], but at a still affordable price.”
The collection, to bow in the U.K. in August, will retail between $22 and $28, but distribution details have not been finalized.
Naturally, the packaging will feature Hall modeling the collection, and it will be a full-body shot, not just a close-up of her leg.
“With Jerry being so gazelle-like, it would be hard to put a detailed picture of her legs on the packaging,” said Camina.
Talks are in progress with distributors for a U.S. launch. Charnos’ core collection has been available at Holt Renfrew in Canada since January. Camina wouldn’t give sales projections for the collection.
The line has so far lived up to the demands of Hall’s celebrity lifestyle: She wore the tights during a recent whistle-stop tour of London’s West End to promote tourism. In one night, she had cameos in six musicals.
“I wore the same pair of tights from my [collection] all evening, throughout wardrobe changes and while speeding across London on a motorbike,” she said. “My tights didn’t snag once.”