Melissa McCarthy is planning a two-pronged attack to launch her new women’s collection in August.
In addition to hitting department and specialty stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. for the fall selling season, an e-commerce site will go live at the same time.
The e-tail site for Melissa McCarthy Seven7, which is designed by the actress and manufactured by Sunrise Brands, will be available under the Melissamccarthy.com name. It will be managed by McCarthy and Gerard Guez, chairman and chief executive officer of Sunrise Brands, which will operate the site through its digital group.
The Web site will also carry pieces from McCarthy’s upper-tier collection that isn’t slated to hit stores until fall of 2016.
In addition to selling merchandise, Melissamccarthy.com will provide seasonal commentary from the actress on fit, fabric, style and versatility.
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“I think women want to be able to dress for their mood,” McCarthy said. “My pieces mix and match, because some days we want to be rock ’n’ roll and some days we want to be more polished. I love that I’ll be able to chat with other women about fashion and see how they’re wearing my clothes.”
Guez said McCarthy has demonstrated in design meetings that “she’s a skilled designer with a passion for her work and incredible attention to detail.” He added that the goal of the site is to “build community through a direct relationship with customers of all sizes, with direct access to Melissa’s latest designs and her commentary.”
At the end of last year, McCarthy revealed she had teamed up with Sunrise Brands to create a fashion line that will also include accessories and beauty products. The line is targeted to all women and is not a special sizes collection.
Before McCarthy became an actress and comedienne, she had planned to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in hopes of becoming a designer. Sunrise’s existing Seven7 line is being reinterpreted by the actress and will center around casual sportswear at moderate price points of $59 to $159. A more contemporary collection at a higher price point will be added next year.