Designer Q&A: Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah is officially expanding her empire! The dynamic singer, rapper, actor and television producer can now add fashion designer to her laundry list of titles. Called “Queen Collection by Queen Latifah,” the lifestyle line offers shoppers a full wardrobe from a knit poncho to leggings to suede handbags.

The line ranges in price from $29.90 to $300 and will be sold exclusively on Home Shopping Network (HSN). At a private press preview, Latifah explained that the collection is for “every” girl, emphasizing that it will fit a range of sizes from two to twenty.

Read on for more exclusive details about this collection….

ESSENCE.com: Who are some of the designers who who inspired your design process?
Queen Latifah:  I like designers like Jean Paul Gaultier. I like to draw from designers with a classic casual chic (aesthetic) like Calvin Klein or Donna Karan – but with an edge. But I don’t want (inspirations) to make it ridiculous by putting studs or fringes on everything. I wanted the clothes to be able to go with everything in a closet.

ESSENCE.com: What is the worst style mistake you see women do?
Queen Latifah: Number one: not wear something with confidence. Number two:  wear things that are wrong for our body type. I think being aware of our body, and what works for us is important. Some women carry fat in our arms, some carry it in their hips. And there are clothes that apply to – and can flatter – all of those body types.

ESSENCE.com: What’s the one thing that every woman should have in her wardrobe?
Queen Latifah: I think beautiful under garments. We all got some draws. But you need a pretty panty and a pretty bra. Sometimes you just need to know you look good up under there. That – and a great pair of jeans – and you can’t go wrong!

ESSENCE.com: Why add hair extensions to this clothing line?
Queen Latifah: I wear hair extensions and all my friends do too. Some less quality than others. I just wanted to bring the great quality of hair that I get to the masses. They will be clip on’s and sew-ins.

ESSENCE.com: How has your style evolved throughout the years?
Queen Latifah:  I was always known as a pretty stylish person.  I started out wearing crowns and rocking an Afrocentric kind of style.  But I was able to meet great makeup artists, hair dressers and stylists who were able to show me things and teach me things and I was able to learn. But I think through it all, being able to keep my identity is what was important.  I think I’ve been doing a good job of it through the years and so my style is reflective of that. I can do something really fun, really chic and then step out a little bit. But I do have a level of class I choose to maintain.

ESSENCE.com: So why launch your line with HSN?
Queen Latifah: They understood me. They understood what Queen Latifah, Flava Unit can be as a brand! We can marry who we are because we have a lot of same ideals. Number one was that we respect our consumers. We don’t respect them as dollar signs, we look at them as human beings who care about  what they like , what lotions they want to put on their body, what perfumes they wanna smell. We treat women with respect and so for what we have in mind, I think HSN was perfect. I’ve watched them launch other brands and I think they get it.