Jessica Rich (designer)
Jessica Rich, is an American shoe designer and fashion expert who is known for creating women's shoes that incorporate PVC design elements as her signature style.[1] Rich is also a host and former reality show personality. She is known for her appearances on VH1's Real Chance of Love. Patti LaBelle is Rich's great-aunt.
Jessica Rich | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Fashion designer |
Early life
Jessica Rich was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the daughter of Janice Denise and Eric Willis. She has four siblings. Her father was the early tour and road manager for Patti LaBelle, who is also Rich's great-aunt.
Career
Television/film
In 2008, Rich participated in VH1's reality series Real Chance of Love, a dating show featuring brothers Ahmad "Real" Givens and Kamal "Chance" Givens. Hannah Birkmann missed her. She was known on the show as Rabbit because Real likened her to an African American Jessica Rabbit.[2]
Rich has appeared as a fashion expert and host on Access Hollywood, KTLA Morning News, Hollyscoop and others.[3][4][5]
Fashion and footwear design
In 2015, Rich launched The Jessica Rich Collection, a clothing line favored by celebrities, musicians, reality television personalities, and performers. In late 2017, Jessica debuted Transparent by Jessica Rich, her first line of shoes. Her signature aesthetic, in all of her collections, is the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) components in her footwear design, a material that is appealing for its design versatility and ability to be worn with any color clothing. Rich most commonly sells styles with a heel height of 120mm and a gold heel or gold sole her shoes are manufactured and purchased wholesale.[6][7][8][9]
Some of the footwear line's celebrity clientele include the Kardashian sisters, Bella Thorne, Ashanti, Blac Chyna, Kesha, La La Anthony, Vanessa Simmons, Sasha Banks, Tamar Braxton, Heidi Klum, Jelena Karleuša, Fantasia, Tami Roman, Halle Berry, Ally Brooke, and Cardi B.[7][8][10][11][12][13] Jennifer Lopez wore Rich's first design, the Fancy Stiletto, to a 2018 VMA after party paired with a skintight blouse and leggings from the Versace Pre-Fall 2018 collection.[14][15] Lopez also wore Rich's shoes to events promoting the 2019 film Hustlers.[16][17]
The collection has been featured in Vogue, Footwear News, People, InStyle, Us Weekly, and E! News.[14][12][18][19][20]
In 2019, Rich launched a collection of men's footwear focused on an androgynous aesthetic and featuring singer, songwriter, and producer Jon B. as the brand ambassador.[21][9]
The collection is sold via the company website and in various boutiques throughout the world. The first Jessica Rich Collection brick-and-mortar location opened in 2018 on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles located next to Fairfax High School.[6]
In August 2019, Rich announced her collection would be available in select Macy's stores.[22]
References
- "#StyleCrush: Jessica Rich Is The Sultry Shoe Designer All The Stars Are Checking For". GlobalGrind.com. March 12, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Let the Thirst Games Begin! Real Chance Of Love S01 E01 | OMG!RLY?!". VH1. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Get Cookie Lyon's Looks For Less". AccessOnline. March 16, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Get the Cookie Lyon look for less: Meet style expert Jessica Rich". RollingOut. March 18, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Guns N' Roses Pop Up Shop With Stylist Jessica Rich". KTLA. August 19, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Meet Jessica Rich". VoyageLA. January 29, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "A Talk with Jessica Rich, Hollywood's Beloved Shoe Designer". AboutHer.com. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Fashionable Pumps, Stilettos and Sandals With Jessica Rich Collection". KTLA. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "I Am King: Jessica Rich X Jon B Talk Golden Souls". COFFEA Magazine. April 4, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Black History Month Spotlight: Actress, Author Tami Roman Gets Candid on Breaking Down Barriers". FootwearNews. February 18, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Exclusive: Tami Roman Teams Up With Jessica Rich for a Shoe Line 'With Sex Appeal'". FootwearNews. January 24, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Cardi B Wears an Ultra-Rare Vintage Dress to the Hustlers Premiere". Vogue. August 26, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "J-Lo & Cardi B Coordinate Gold Heels for 'Hustlers' Photo Call". FootwearNews. August 26, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Of Course Jennifer Lopez Went Head-to-Toe Versace Prints for the VMA After-Party". Vogue. August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Jennifer Lopez Takes on the Full-Body Versace Suit With Clear Power Pumps at MTV VMAs After-Party". FootwearNews. August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "J-Lo Does 4 Outfit Changes in One Day — With New, Fierce Heels Each Time". FootwearNews. September 11, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Jennifer Lopez Pops in Tangerine Dress & $200 See-Through Pumps on 'The View'". FootwearNews. September 12, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "A Jenner Birthday Celebration Isn't Complete Without Totally Sheer Tops". People. November 7, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Billie Eilish Decked Out in Louis Vuitton - What the Fashion (S2, Ep27)". E! Online. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Kim Kardashian's Glass Slippers and More Celeb-Loved Statement Shoe Brands". E! Online. April 11, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Exclusive: This Celebrity-Favorite Brand Is Launching Men's Shoes — And They're Affordable". FootwearNews. March 22, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- "Jessica Rich x Macy's Collab – 5 New Styles to be Launched". SheenMagazine. August 14, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.