Mischa Barton: From Style Inspiration to Fashion Designer

Mischa Barton’s fashion style has been an obsession with celebrity magazines, and she has critiqued other people’s clothing choices as a guest on E! Entertainment’s “Fashion Police.” The TV star’s next step is to jump into fashion design, debuting Mischa Barton, her contemporary line.

The Los Angeles–headquartered line is helmed by Barton and her mother, Nuala Barton, who has worked as a photographer. Both are novice fashion designers. Rounding out the label’s workforce is a staff of more than six, said Barton, who starred in the hit TV program “The OC” from 2003 to 2006.The Mischa Barton line will have a global spread. It is manufactured in China, and by the end of May, Barton will have opened a 1,000-square-foot boutique for the line in London. She splits her time between Los Angeles and London, where she was born. The Mischa Barton line will be available in American stores by late summer and on her website (www.mischasplace.com).“The whole vibe of the line is 1970s Biba-esque,” Barton said, naming the influential London fashion boutique Biba as an inspiration. “It’s a little bit bohemian, and it is classic.”

The line’s pieces include the “Michael” jacket. The form-fitting outerwear features beading and epaulets.There’s the “Mischa Signature” jacket, which features cap sleeves and a ruffled front. The line also offers dresses, leggings, T-shirts and jump suits.
Barton is targeting high-end boutiques. Suggested retail prices range from $45 to $450.Barton’s self-named line is the latest in celebrity-helmed lines, including successful brands The Row, designed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Jessica Simpson Collection by Jessica Simpson. However, a famous name is no guarantee for success, said Mercedes Gonzalez, director of buying office and retail consultants Global Purchasing Companies. Lines such as House of Dereon by Beyonce Knowles and Paris Hilton’s various forays into fashion have not equaled their namesakes’ star power, Gonzalez said.Barton said many of her designs are based on looks she put together that have been photographed by celebrity magazines.
For more information, contact Cricket Showroom at (213) 627-3817 or info@cricketshowroom.com.—Andrew Asch