Amy Winehouse to design for Fred Perry

Troubled chanteuse Amy Winehouse is back in the news, but this time it is to launch a clothing collection in collaboration with sportswear brand Fred Perry. Set to launch for Autumn 2010, Richard Martin, Fred Perry's Marketing Director, told WWD: “Amy has been wearing Fred Perry for years, so we were aware she was a genuine fan of the brand. Amy has a unique sense of style that reflects the brand’s own historical reference points.”

Started 58 years ago as a sportswear collection by tennis icon Fred Perry, the company also has a history of aligning with music stars — such as Paul Weller and Damon Albarn — which has helped grow the label into a more mainstream, musician-favored streetwear brand. And the cheeky-retro look of Winehouse’s line is a style Winehouse herself worked to attention-grabbing effect when she was hitting the red carpet frequently two years ago.

In a palette of mostly black and pink, the 17-piece collection includes a girlish twinset; slim, thigh-skimming pencil skirts; capri pants, a mini bowling dress, and Fred Perry’s signature polo shirts (“collars are most definitely raised,” the press release effused). The collection will continue over four seasons and be sold in Fred Perry Authentic boutiques as well as through select wholesalers globally.

Practically every other day a celebrity, musician or Hollywood actor is launching a fashion label. Yesterday it was Madonna; last month month it was Sarah Jessica Parker for Halston. Why the world needs genuine designers, who study fashion and design and have it running through their veins, is of little importance to the industry these days.

Image: Amy Winehouse in Fred Perry