Madonna Pairs Up with Iconix for Macy's Line

Posted Mar 11th 2010 5:30PM by Zac Bissonnette
Filed under: Competitive Strategy

Madonna is pairing up with Iconix (ICON) to launch her own fashion line, MG Icon, which will be sold exclusively at Macy's.

The line will debut at about 200 stores in time for the back to school shopping season, with Madonna providing development and promotional services. The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that "the collection of apparel, footwear, handbags and jewelry is expected to retail at $12 to $40. Growth plans include fragrance as well as expansion into additional Macy's stores. Macy's will be able to launch additional brands with the joint venture."

The question is whether anyone, other than drag queens, will really be inspired to buy clothing based on the Material Girl brand.

Madonna's last album, 2008's Hard Candy, sold just 725,000 units in the United States, making it the second poorest showing of her career, second only to the poorly received political statement American Life.

She's still an icon -- and post-prime icons have had hits in the fashion branding space before. See, for instance, Elizabeth Taylor's fragrance line that debuted in 1988 and, according to the Los Angeles Times, "set the template for the celebrity fragrance category".

There's always the chance that, with hot enough designs, the line will catch on. But a more likely fate is a quick flop and equally quick disappearance.

Tags: fashion, iconix, madonna, mg icon