Who needs to sing when you have "Idol" apparel?
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Your singing voice might make Simon cringe and your two left feet might not endear you to Paula, but the chance to look like an American Idol could still be in the stars.
A line of rock n' roll-inspired clothing for girls and tweens hits mass-market retailers next February, with prices for the denim-based line ranging between $10 and $40 for T-shirts, jeans, dresses and vests.
FremantleMedia, producers of the hit television show "American Idol" -- which is judged by Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson -- penned the deal with Lyric Jeans Inc, a Los Angeles-based company known for its premium clothing adorned with iconic song lyrics, from "Revolution" by The Beatles to "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.
The 11-piece line called Lyrix by Lyric Culture will feature a palette of pink, white and black and logos that are embroidered or painted onto fabric. One pair of jeans has an image of a microphone snaking up the leg, while other pieces will incorporate lyrics from songs by winners of the show.
Fashion has always been a huge part of the "American Idol" experience, said designer Hanna Rochelle Schmieder, who first discovered rock n' roll by listening to Beatles albums on her Fisher-Price record player.
"From the moment they audition to the time they make it in the top 10, they become style icons in their own right," said Schmieder of the show's contestants. "All the little girls that are watching it, they want to dress like that. Why not make clothes for them that are affordable -- and very rock and roll?"
James Ngo, director of consumer licensing for FremantleMedia, said he would look into the studio audience on taping nights and realize the dewy-faced, prepubescent girls screaming and crying for their favorite singers were his target audience.
"They wear the T-shirts, they're holding up signs, they're so proud to wear it and show it, it clicked in our head those are the average consumers of our brand," Ngo told Reuters. "That's who we need to make the T-shirts and the clothing for."
Another line of T-shirts, produced through licensee JEM Sportswear, is sold at retailers such as J.C. Penney Co Inc and Macy's Inc and sales grew over 30 percent last year, Ngo said.
FremantleMedia currently has 45 licensees for such American Idol-branded items as toys, food and games, Ngo said.
American Idol, America's most-watched television show, is broadcast to more than 100 countries outside the United States and captured an average audience of 30 million viewers per episode in 2006 and 2007.
