When Celebs and Designers Unite: the Good, the Bad, the Ungaro

By Tracey Harrington McCoy Posted Nov 20th 2009 01:45PM

From Lindsay Lohan "helping" Ungaro to Hayden Panettiere guest-designing for Dooney & Burke, high-profile partnerships between celebrities and fashion designers have become the trend du jour. Almost every week, a new star adds "fashion designer" to her resume by teaming up with an established design house and releasing a collection.

This week, Elle Magazine highlighted the latest celebrity/design house collaboration -- this one between British pop tart Lily Allen and high-end fashion powerhouse Chanel led by style icon Karl Lagerfeld (more here). While we like this particular pairing (charming-yet-outrageous singer meets stylish grandpa!), we can't help but remember past star/designer unions. Some were fabulous ... and some were, well ... Here, we take a quick look back.

Fab: Hayden Panettiere and Dooney & Bourke

In 2007, the 'Heroes' hottie joined forces with designer handbag brand Dooney & Bourke to create a limited edition bag. The oversized leather bag with solid hardware and a cool buckle was an instant bestseller. Even with a $500 price tag, it didn't take long to reach must-have status. We predict it won't be long before we see Panettiere showcasing her fashion prowess again.

Flub: Lindsay Lohan and Ungaro

Talk about a hot mess. Just weeks before Ungaro debuted its Spring 2010 collection at Paris Fashion Week, the fashion house hired Lindsay Lohan as its artistic director. Fashion editors around the world gasped at the bold move-and anticipated the worst. Turns out, they were right. Lohan and the collection were slammed. Woman's Wear Daily called it "an embarrassment." Even the founder, Emanual Ungaro, called the collection a "disaster." Hmmm. Maybe Lindsay should just stick to her leggings and tanning spray lines.

Fab: Hilary Duff and DKNY Jeans

Before shooting scenes for her guest role on Gossip Girl, Hilary Duff partnered up with DKNY Jeans for a small collection called Femme for DKNY Jeans. The hip designs and unique pieces caught the eyes of fashion editors and style-savvy shoppers alike. It seems Duff found a winning combination: pairing her unique style with a stylish-yet-accessible fashion brand. And the print ads for this partnership were pretty amazing, too.

Flub: Fergie and Kipling Handbags

It turns out Fergie is interested in more than just singing and acting. In addition to singing with the Black Eyed Peas and starring in Hollywood blockbusters (she's got a role in the upcoming film Nine co-starring Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman), Fergie also designs for handbag brand Kipling. She's designed a few collections over the past couple of years and while she's had some success, most of the online buzz hasn't been great. The Purse Blog even calls the collection a "waste of time." Our major turn-off? The bag with a pair of hot pink lips with the words Fergie Loves Kipling printed on them. Yikes!

Fab: Dita Von Teese and Wonderbra

Perhaps one of the most organic-yet-still-exciting celebrity/brand collaborations is the teaming up of Dita Von Teese and Wonderbra. It makes complete sense that a woman famous for her undergarments (and her removal of them) would design a line for an undergarment company. Not only is Von Teese sexing up Wonderbra's image, but she's also making "sexy" attainable to the everywoman. Her first collection launched in 2008 and was such a success, she unveiled round two earlier this year.

Remains to Be Seen: Michelle Trachtenberg and Coach

Gossip Girl's resident villain, Michelle Trachtenberg, teamed up with high-end brand Coach to design jewelry for the Coach Poppy collection. Known by online fashionistas everywhere for her bold and unique fashion choices, Trachtenberg brings a trained eye to the collection. The highly anticipated line, which debuts in Spring 2010, will include Swarovski crystals and faux pearls. Based on her sense of style and Coach's track record, we anticipate a successful partnership. But only time will tell...

Tags: hayden panettiere, HaydenPanettiere, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan