Sears Holdings Corp. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) has created a new business unit to develop entertainment-driven fashion and lifestyle brands for its Sears and Kmart stores.
Star Branding (New York), a strategic brand building consultancy whose partners include Tommy Hilfiger, has been retained to lead the unit, beginning with new collections by musicians and TV hosts Adam Levine (“The Voice”) and Nicki Minaj (“American Idol”).
Minaj recently announcer her new apparel and accessories collection, available at select Kmart stores in the fall. Levine is designing a men’s apparel collection called 222 by Adam Levine, also launching this fall.
The Star Branding team will manage the brands. A Sears spokeswoman said other celebrity brands could eventually be added to the business unit.