L.A.M.B. By Gwen Stefani: Spring / Summer 2008 Fashion Collection

In the past few years, it has become de rigueur for celebrities to start their own fashion line. Paris and Nikki Hilton, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jennifer Lopez have all started fashion lines, but none of them have caught the attention of the fashion editors who control what we see in magazines. Of these, Sarah Jessica Parker has had the most success, because hers was never meant to be shown at New York's Fashion Week. Her clothing is for budget minded shoppers, and even among them, she has had to endure many complaints. So what is it about Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. clothing that has caught on? To put it simply, her clothing is innovative, beautiful, and classic.

Most celebrity designers stay away from innovation, and yet, that is exactly what will make or break a designer. L.A.M.B. embraces innovation. One of her pieces is a black and white, large print gingham dress. With only the typical checkerboard pattern of gingham, she turns the fabric several different ways, and folds it, so that a single pattern offers much more interesting features. On another outfit, she pleats a dress so that it's grey on the outside, but as you walk and the folds come open, it appears white inside. Although many designers have done this before and it's a typical feature for a cheerleading skirt, none of them have carried the pleats up the entire body of the dress. It's a very difficult pattern to make work, and yet, it looks like it was accomplished easily in this case. In another top, zippers have been placed at the bottom of a black lace shirt. They open or close, to reveal more of the wearer's stomach. None of these pieces are the best as far as being able to actually wear them on the street, but they are amazing in terms of innovation. These kind of details are bold risks, and they are the thing that will keep people talking about your line for years to come.

L.A.M.B. also manages to make very beautiful, classic clothing. There are several pieces that are breathtaking. One white dress has a single shoulder and black lines across the waist. It would be very difficult for any woman not to feel sexy in such an outfit. Another such outfit is a black and white suit. The skirt is very high, and when paired with the leggings, it draws your eye upwards and makes it seem as though the person wearing it has extremely long legs. There is a green dress that uses zigzag horizontal stripes, and a wide belt across the waist. It's so perfectly balanced, and it looks exceptionally well done.

Stefani may be new to designing clothing, but she certainly has a good eye for it. Some of her pieces manage to appear similar to other designers, such as Alexander McQueen or Gucci, but they never cross the line into copying them. L.A.M.B. brings its own point of view to everything it offers, and the result is an interesting mix of rock and roll and classic beauty. Honestly, how could we expect anything less from Gwen Stefani?