Jessica Simpson teams up with apparel brand for denim collection

(AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA.)

Singer and actress Jessica Simpson ( The Dukes of Hazzard, Blonde Ambition) joins one of the top US clothing design brands for a collection of jeans, jackets, skirts and tops, due on racks in July.

The position of clothing designer isn't new to the celebrity's repertoire, but partnering with the sophisticated apparel firm Jones New York further establishes her fashion credibility. Her current Jessica Simpson Collection of shoes, handbags, swimwear, lingerie, outerwear, and even luggage, sold at department stores and on the site www.jessicasimpsoncollection.com, earns an impressive $500 million annually.

The Jones Apparel Group, also associated with lines by Evan-Picone, Anne Klein, Gloria Vanderbuilt, Givenchy's costume jewelry, and more, signed an arrangement for an extensive denim collection by Simpson, including jeggings and boyfriend blazers, in a modest price range of $29 to $79.

Unlike some other celebrity fashion lines, Simpson's collection has proven to be as successful as Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' popular Sean John collection.

RC