Celebrities often say (and do) the darnedest things, but almost nothing beats the fact that they like to get their hands in every professional cookie jar possible. Well, every cookie jar that contains wads of cash to add to their net worth, that is. From hair care to alcohol, it seems there's nothing you can't do with a little bit of fame and fortune.Ahead, we compiled a list of celebrities that we had no idea were involved in our world. Some might come as no surprise, while others have kept their ventures so discreet that you'll actually be like, "Wait, what?" From seriously successful businesses to some met with staunch controversy, we've rounded up 16 stars who have taken their talents to the fashion industry. If you find yourself shocked at some of those involved, don't worry: We were, too.
Nicole Richie
House of Harlow, Winter Kate, and A Pea in the Pod
At this point, The Simple Life is so far in her past that associating Nicole Richie with the title of "fashion designer" is actually pretty accurate. She's still on TV, of course, but all three of her ventures — her lines House of Harlow and Winter Kate, and her maternity collection for A Pea In The Pod — contribute to her net worth of $10 million. And just like Nicole, each one is as adorable as she is.
Her maternity line has some of the cutest sweaters for moms-to-be. See what we mean?
Zendaya Coleman
(Sole of) Daya
She's an actress, singer, and producer — and pretty soon, Zendaya will be adding designer to her resumé. The 19-year-old's forthcoming shoe line, Sole of Daya, is set to debut in the spring of 2016, and she told Fashionista that the kicks will come with extra soles, because expensive shoes are acceptably uncomfortable. Her line is said to be priced between $125 and $175. Though celebrity clothing lines aren't always primed for success, something tells us this one is going to kill the competition.
Here's a sneak peak...
Kate Hudson
Fabletics
Kate Hudson is one of those cosmic creatures whose stars were aligned so perfectly before she was even born. (Hello, she inherited genes from Goldie Hawn.) So it's no puzzle trying to figure out where her healthy glow comes from. And it's also no surprise to learn that she's the co-founder of activewear brand Fabletics. In addition to some killer prices (a pair of leggings will run you around $49.95), they offer an interesting rewards program that consists of a "VIP Membership" of monthly saving opportunities galore. That's not to say, though, that the company hasn't been hit with its fair share of criticism — in October, many customers spoke out against the brand, calling its subscription service a scam.
Here are those leggings we were talking about. Not bad, eh?
Kim Kardashian
Shoedazzle
While most people like to say Kim Kardashian — er, the Kardashians in general — has no talent, she's actually quite the businesswoman. She invested in shoe company ShoeDazzle back in 2009 with three male partners. It's another brand that offers membership perks. For $39.95 a month, customers receive selections catered to the history of their purchases offered at special prices. And even though Rachel Zoe also serves as "Chief Stylist," the company hasn't always been so cool: In 2011, it was called out for having terrible working conditions and utilizing Chinese sweatshops.
This shoe is so Kim.
Magdalena Frackowiak
Magdalena Frackowiak Jewelry
This one came as an actual surprise. Compared to the other Victoria's Secret models, Frackowiak isn't as vocal when it comes to social media or the press. So when we found out she had Magdalena Frackowiak Jewelry, we were blindsided. The best part about the namesake label that it's actually really, really good. But is it affordable? Well...we'll let you decide that for yourselves.
This necklace is model-approved.
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
The Row, Elizabeth and James, StyleMint
If you've been living under a rock for the past decade, you might not have known The Olsen Twins are now successful fashion designers. And by successful, we mean award-winning labels. Their luxury line, The Row, won them the CFDA's Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2012; and their contemporary line, Elizabeth and James, named for the twins' siblings, continues to be sold in high-end department stores nationwide. That's a long way from their days at Walmart. Remember that?
Now that's a bucket bag we can get behind.
Gisele Bündchen
Gisele Bündchen Intimates
One would think that at Gisele Bündchen-status, the amount of success from modeling might be enough. But this supermodel must enjoy being behind the camera as much as in front of it, because her lingerie line, Gisele Bündchen Intimates, has sold out in several countries. That sounds about right, though, considering everything else she models tends to do the same. Not only does Bündchen model the collection, but from the looks of its "About The Brand"video, she's also involved in every step of the process.
Oh la la...
Rachel Zoe
Poshmark
It's only fitting a stylist would invest in a fashion app, so Rachel Zoe's stake in Poshmark, the online sell-your-own-stuff app, makes total sense. The service allows users to create Poshmark-based businesses to sell their own clothing, accessories, and shoes; the company then takes a percentage of those profits.
Fun fact: Ashton Kutcher is also an investor.
Funny fact: Zoe's own line is sold on the site, too.
We'll take that bag, please.
Pharrell
Bionic Yarn
If you can take your mind off of Pharrell's hat (or the fact that he's basically a vampire and doesn't age) — he actually is the creative director for Bionic Yarn, a startup that takes the plastic that pollutes the Earth's oceans and turns it into fabric for clothes. Talk about full circle (in Pharrell's case, that is). The clothes are sold via G-Star RAW and take us one pair of jeans closer to global climate change with every purchase.
Seriously, what can't Pharrell do?
Justin Timberlake
William Rast
Co-founded with his bestie Trace Alaya, Justin Timberlake's clothing line William Rast was denim-based at its genesis. Apart from the fact that it's made by *NSYNC's funniest band member, reasons to get yourself some William Rast duds include: songbird Tori Kelly is the face of its fall 2015 campaign; premium denim at prices that make sense; oh, and Justin Timberlake. It's sold at Lord & Taylor and other department stores.
You can never go wrong with a good pair of skinny jeans.
Will Smith
Fancy
Our forever Fresh Prince of Bel-Air invested millions in Fancy, a website often referred to as "the Pinterest of shopping," where users can buy and sell their own carefully curated selections of goods. Other investors include Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey and Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes. That's some pretty royal company there, Will.
Smartpens, T-shirts, bubble pet carriers...you name it.
Gina Rodriguez
Naja
Another celeb-founded lingerie line, Naja is backed by Golden Globe-winning actress Gina Rodriguez. Not only does it offer high-quality intimates with some really cool designs, but also a section made with eco-friendly fabrics, a component that aims to help women and the environment at the same time.
Earlier this year, the actress told Refinery29: "I've been discussing how to implement our mission: to employ single moms, create a brand for women of all sizes and shapes, and encourage body confidence for all women who wear our lingerie." Hear, hear!
The "Gina" bra.
Lauren Conrad
Paper Crown
If you're of the Anthropologie or Free People fanbase, then you'll love Paper Crown, a contemporary clothing line made by none other than West Coast queen Lauren Conrad. And the designs couldn't be more LC, with an entire section dedicated to bridesmaid dresses alone.
A perfect bridesmaid gown for those Laguna Beach weddings we've been dreaming of since 2004.
Drake
October's Very Own
Not much needs to be said about Drake's e-comm-only streetwear label October's Very Own, because the clothing sort of speaks for itself. Every piece — from the hoodies to the hats — are just so Drake. And if your hotline blings as often as ours does, you know exactly what we mean. OVO is the fashion component to Drake's OVO empire that includes OVOSOUND (his own record label) and annual concert OVOFEST.
What month is it? Oh, yeah.
Alyssa Milano
Touch
Trust us when we say we saved the best for last. The who knew? of our lineup is Touch by Alyssa Milano. The former Charmed star has her own line of sports apparel fan-gear for all of you rooting for your favorite teams from the bleachers. And believe it or not, the line is sold pretty much everywhere you can think: Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, sport fanatic-wear sites across the web, and even a boutique at the Mets' Citi Field.
Milano toldBloomberg Businessweek, “I went into the store to get something warm to wear. And I was offended. Their answer for female sports apparel back then was ‘pink it and shrink it.’ It was either that or buy something from the kids’ section. Which I did. I got a kid’s hoodie.” If that's not inspiration enough to take matters into your own hands...
If you're not a Giants fan, don't worry — this sweatshirt comes in iterations for just about every team you could ask for.
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