It might seem like mega-celebrities partnering with mega-retailers is par for the course these days—everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Olivia Palermo to Kelly Osbourne has dabbled in the world of fashion and accessories design, and it might seem like Beyoncé's just-announced collaboration with British behemoth Topshop is along the same lines. But really it's not.
In keeping with Beyoncé's general theme of the past few years—in which she left the management of her father Joe Knowles, founded her own management company called Parkwood Entertainment, and bucked the entire music industry by releasing an album without promoting it at all—the 33-year-old pop star joined with Topshop on her own terms. According to WWD, Knowles and Topshop have formed a true 50/50 joint venture called Parkwood Topshop Athletic, Ltd.
"This not a collaboration. This is about building a brand and building a business—a separate, proper business, with separate overhead and a separate office,” Topshop owner Sir Philip Green told WWD. Translation: Beyoncé owns half of the partnership, and stands to take home half the profit from any potential sales. This stands in contrast to a normal celebrity/retailer partnership, in which the star is hired by the brand.
The line will focus primarily on athletic wear, which makes perfect sense considering that sportswear is one of the biggest trends in fashion right now, both in street style and on the runways. It's expected to hit Topshop stores and online for F/W 15 at the earliest.
Are you as excited about this partnership as we are? Tell us what you expect in the comments below!
