When country singer Miranda Lambert invited Gary Rich, co-founder of Rich Footwear Group, to one of her shows last year to hang backstage, he knew the decision to launch two labels, inspired and designed by Lambert, had the making of being chart toppers. “When I saw her for the first time [in concert] I was quite impressed with her fan base and the age range,” he says. “The audience dressed for the show like a ladies’ night out.” Rich and Lambert are channeling these fashionable fans as well as the “Hell on Heels” singer’s own sense of country rock style to bring two unique lines of footwear to the marketplace for Spring ’14.
In collaboration with license Duffy and Duffy, Rich and Lambert debuted Miranda by Miranda Lambert (suggested retail $69 to $249) and Kerosene by Miranda Lambert ($36 to $129) at the FFANY show this month. Rich says the lines encompass Lambert’s ability to go from on-stage star to laying low at her Oklahoma home with her many dogs and her country crooner hubby, Blake Shelton. According to Rich, both lines include looks to take wearers from the red carpet to a Saturday night out on the town to kicking back with friends on a Sunday afternoon. Look for a signature pump for both brands, plenty of heels, flats, sandals and, of course, Western boots. “I’m always looking for a great boot that’s stylish and tall with a higher sturdy heel–it’s something that I would wear while performing,” Lambert notes.
Lambert, winner of several Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards including female vocalist of the year as well as a Grammy Award for her hit song, “The House That Built Me,” is a force onstage as well as off, and her rocker edge mixed with country glam style translates to women of all ages. “Just like most women, I love shoes and can never have enough of them,” she says. “On my website we get a lot of inquires about what I wear and how my fans can be part of that style. So the Miranda footwear line[s] just made sense as a natural evolution of my brand.”
Both lines feature artisan touches of weaving, hand-burnished leathers, ornamentation displaying iconic rock ‘n’ roll and country music images, and linings with highlights of vivid pinks and soft blues. “I want the lines to reflect who I am as a person and as an artist. The lines are bold, sassy, confident and accessible,” Lambert says. To that end, the singer is hands-on throughout the design process. “Nothing goes out until Lambert aimed to please her tastes as well as those of her fans. “We want a great-looking product for women of all ages in all economic positions,” he notes. Adds Lambert, “My fans are women who are best friends, sisters and rebels. But they all connect. That’s what I’m expressing in Miranda–a love of fashion that’s real with just the right amount of sparkle.”
