LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 26: Actress Vanessa Simmons attends the Give Back Hollywood Foundation’s benefit for VH1 Save the Music Foundation on August 26, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD – MAY 20: TV personality Vanessa Simmons attends the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ ‘Dance Flick’ at ArcLight Cinemas on May 20, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 14: Angela Simmons poses backstage at the Pamella Roland Fall 2012 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Studio at Lincoln Center on February 14, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)
FUBU creator Daymond John teamed up with Vanessa Simmons to promote her new swimwear line (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 15: Angela Simmons attends the 2012 ‘Woman’s Day’ Red Dress Awards at Jazz at Lincoln Center on February 15, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 22: Television personalities Vanessa Simmons (L) and Angela Simmons display new Pastry headphones and shoes at the Pastry booth at the MAGIC clothing industry convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center August 22, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Vanessa Simmons is getting ready to launch her own line of swimwear, Rose by Vanessa Jean. With the Pastry Shoes franchise from she and her sister Angela on firm footing, Vanessa is stepping out to develop this independent project.
In an article on the Black Enterprise web site, Vanessa said about her new collection:
Creating Pastry will always be a special bond that Ang[ela] and I share, it taught me a lot about the business of fashion and I am so excited to use what I’ve learned to start up Rose by Vanessa Jean. It is definitely a lot different designing [swimwear] than sneakers especially because a lot of it is concentrated on a woman’s body and getting the right fit down packed.
The new line will feature pieces suitable for women of all sizes. Backing her on her fashion endeavor is Shark Tank‘s Daymond John, who acts as Vanessa’s partner and brand manager.
No stranger to the fashion world, John was once a fashion trendsetter in the early ’90s when he started up the FUBU brand. The vision behind FUBU, which stood for “For Us By Us,” wasn’t just a clothing brand; it was considered a lifestyle label for African Americans. Perhaps through this partnership, Vanessa and John will be able to recreate the creative energy that made FUBU so iconic.
Follow Chivone Smith on Twitter at @misswriterinc
