America’s most enduring celebrity fashion collection is getting a second wind.
Jaclyn Smith, who became an overnight icon when she played Kelly Garrett on the television series “Charlie’s Angels” that ran from 1976 to 1981, has officially relaunched her namesake fashion collection on HSN. For starters, it’s a 10-piece spring line aimed at women 35 and older, with classic and on-trend pieces that can be worn from day to night, with stretch properties and sizes that fit “real people,” the actress said.
“It’s exciting because through HSN, with its broadcast, website, mobile app and social pages, I’ll have the chance to reach a lot more people,” Smith told WWD. “I have a 36-year commitment to my customers,” she characterized as diverse and from all walks of life.
The Jaclyn Smith Collection was first launched in 1985 and has always been sold exclusively at Kmart. Her brand was one of the reasons Kmart was able to continue operating despite mismanagement, bankruptcy, and constant store closings over the years. Kmart now has just three stores, down from nearly 2,500 in the mid-1990s.
In its peak years, the Jaclyn Smith collection included women’s clothing, accessories, intimate wear, footwear, seasonal gifts, bedding, table tops, decor and furniture, and generated annual sales of $250 million to $300 million. Over a decade at Kmart, the Jaclyn Smith brand has sold more than 100 million items. Her contract with Kmart expired at the end of July 2021, and there was about a year of sales time.
Although Christmas just passed, the timing of the relaunch on Thursday is still appropriate. Last year, consumers began to rebuild their wardrobes as they emerged from the COVID-19 stay-at-home lifestyle and returned to social and office environments. However, they are squeezed by inflation, spend less on optional items, and face the challenge of finding fashionable women’s clothing at low prices. With the new Jaclyn Smith collection, “everything in the introductory collection is under $100,” said the former Charlie’s Angel.
Smith will appear live on HSN’s “Obsessed With Style” at 8 a.m. Saturday, again at 1 p.m. and during The List at 7 p.m., presumably in her moto jacket. It’s designed in tweed tweed with a fringe around the neck, a rose gold zip and shoulder pads and costs $59.75. “It looks very high-end and very refined,” Smith said.
When asked to name a few other favorites from the collection, Smith chose the $59.75 Fully Lined Cargo Pocket Drawstring Jacket. “It’s perfect for spring. Soothing but light enough to wear indoors. You can wear it open or closed… I’m a jacket girl.”
She also picked up a textured short-sleeve knit top for $24.75. “It’s my answer to the classic T, but more refined, more stepped, with a wonderful stretch.”
Then there’s a sweater with thin vertical stripes and narrow ribbing, priced at $42.75. “It’s very flattering and worn completely open. I like clothes that move with you,” Smith said. “I decided to do vertical stripes, which a lot of people questioned because they thought it made you look bigger. But done right, it doesn’t have to. I love stripes.”
The collection also features a wrinkle-free safari print, short-sleeve cuff-front shirts ($32) and matching side-tie skirts ($49.75). Both pieces are available in other colors and can be combined. “You can carry the pieces in a bag,” Smith said. “The fabric holds and sportswear goes from day to night. My goal is to make it wearable.”
The collection ranges from sizes XS to 3X. “We measure by real people, not form. If something isn’t comfortable or it doesn’t move with me or it doesn’t stretch, it’s not up,” Smith said.
“I’ve never done HSN,” she said. “It’s like I’m walking into unknown territory. But it’s rejuvenating. It ups my game.” She will be describing her new fashion pieces and where she gets her inspiration for the collection, including the Paris fashion shows she attended.
Jaclyn Smith in her $59.75 Zip Up Tweed Jacket and $49.75 Straight Leg Jeans.
HSN is a big change from Kmart’s days of in-store, TV commercials and print ads. Now it’s more about streaming and social media. Smith creates her own social networks where she reminisces about Christmas at her home, vacations and other aspects of her life. “Social media was hard for me at first because I’m so private, but you get into it and enjoy other people’s social media. I’ve gotten better at it. People who have followed you over the years want to know about your personal life and your home.”
Nearly four decades since she broke into fashion, she says her philosophy remains the same: to offer a quality brand at an affordable price.
The collection was reborn through a licensing agreement with RDG Global LLC, a major supplier of private labels to retailers based at 550 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan’s Garment District, although the collection was designed and photographed in Los Angeles, where Smith lives.
“We really had time to source and develop materials from around the world. I didn’t have to rush it. It’s a more elevated line, from the choice of fabrics to the details, whether it’s the rose gold zip or toggles. It’s the details that make the difference. We put a lot of thought into each piece. It wasn’t like making 100 pieces,” season after season at Kmart.
While it officially launched on HSN, unofficially (and quietly) various Jaclyn Smith-branded items have been sold on Nordstrom Rack’s website since the fall, as a sort of trial run to help gauge the brand’s popularity and provide confidence moving forward with HSN. “It’s done very well at Nordstrom Rack with a soft launch,” Smith said. “I built trust, credibility and a following. It’s a long-term relationship with my customers.”
“Jaclyn’s vision was brought to life from carefully crafted fabrics and patterns that she loves to wear herself,” added Bridget Love, general merchandise manager and vice president of fashion, accessories, jewelry and beauty for HSN. “HSN continues to lead the way as a pioneer in the live video business by including entertainment, personalities and industry experts like Jaclyn Smith.”