Yolanda Adams To Launch Yolandas Clozet Clothing Line

Article written by: Rodrick Rainey
Posted on: December 11, 2006

*In the midst of a few special US concert performances, gospel star Yolanda Adams made a stop to help celebrate the greatness of the legendary Quincy Jones and shared the latest happenings in her busy life. The singer, along with several celebrities, paid tribute to the artist, producer, and philanthropist recently at a Los Angeles event.

“I’m here because I absolutely love Quincy,” the thankful singer said. “He’s contributed so much to music and movies and a lot of people don’t understand the humanitarian behind the music and behind the movies. He has been so much to so many people. During the riots and all the things that happened, and not just here in the States, but overseas, he’s always been in the forefront for justice. I absolutely believe that Quincy Jones has made this place a better place.”

Settling into her own better place and taking a minute with EUR’s Lee Bailey, the statuesque singer talked about two new projects she’s working on outside of the studio. Adams is launching her very own clothing line, with both casual and couture styles. In addition, she has created a boutique record label aimed at fostering and mentoring talent in the music industry. The new clothing line, aptly titled Yolanda’s Clozet, are designs sparked by the singer from her own experience sewing clothing and restyling designs.

“We have jeans and T-shirts coming out before Christmas. But in the spring, we’ll have the actual line out. We’re talking about ready-to-wear [styles] right now, but the couture will be coming in the fall. I think people are going to be surprised. We’re coming out with furs “they’re not going to be real furs” we want to be politically correct, so we’re working with Marc Bower who is a great designer and has some of the most impeccable imitation furs out there. You really can’t tell the difference, except for the price tag.”

Adams was inspired to start the line because of two reasons: her own talent for sewing and designing clothes, and the necessity and desires she has to redesign and reconfigure her own wardrobe.

“Being the oldest of six kids of a single mom, I would sew all the clothes,” she explained. “I would go and get $15 of material and make all the clothes. I found myself getting back to that because as tall as I am and as thin as I am, sometimes it’s hard for me to walk in and get something off the rack. So I said, “There are probably another 2 million women who have this problem.” We have to buy large and alter. So I use my body as a model to come up with all those things so women who have long limbs can go in the store and say “Wow.”"

The singer will not only be a designer for the line, but will also serve as the spokesmodel. And she said the clothing line will be in conjunction with Wal-Mart and Macy’s with a brick-and-mortar Yolanda’s Clozet store opening in her native Houston, TX in the spring, along with an interactive website where viewers can pair the clothing and see an outfit before they buy it.

“There’s a market out there for taller women, there’s a market out there for ample beauty-bodied women,” Adams said of the target demographic of her line. “And when you cater to them, they come back and give you ideas. We’re just trying to put a twist on the things that are there already. We didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, we’ll just improve it.

In addition to the clothing line, Adams is launching a management company-independent record label.

“We started a management company and we’re about to mentor young people that cannot get on major labels themselves. I have been with some great record companies and I have been with some record companies that should have done more for me, and so taking that and knowing that, I do have a responsibility to mentor kids that are coming up and let them know that this is a beautiful business – the business of music.”

The singer herself is on the Elektra label, but believes her new management company will help a lot of singers and songwriters who can’t seem to draw major records companies.

“We started our own company to get some more talent out there I don’t think there should be one gospel label or one jazz label doing everything,” she said. “I think there is a lot of talent out there and if we give them the opportunity, they can shine.”