Fashion Saved My Life

Photo Source: All the Best Blog

It seems like fashion designers and consumers have been obsessed with style names for a while: Hermes’ Kelly and Birkin bags, Marc Jacobs’ Stam bag after model Jessica Stam, and one of my new favorites, this Diane von Furstenberg “Olsen” dress. I personally can’t picture either Olsen wearing the sweet cocktail dress, but Diane, like other designers, probably felt the need to pay them back for good press and muse-worthy inspiration (from Influence especially).

But how much does a style’s name affect the customer’s desire to purchase? Carrying a bag designed for Grace Kelly is a veritable marketing point, but what about when lesser known designers or even mass retailers start playing the game?

When I first saw this French Connection tunic for example, I thought that it had potential but was a little generic looking. Then I looked at its name: “Harlem Nights Top.”  And for a second I could imagine myself sipping highballs and feeling mysteriously sexy while dancing my way down to Harlem. And then logic took over again and I moved on.

Photo Source: Shopbop.com

But what about this Beckerman dress, at left? It’s called the Dakota Cowl Dress, and don’t you think it looks like something the newly chic Dakota Fanning would wear? As cute as she’s dressing these days, I don’t want to wear something named after a snaggly toothed 14-year old.