ESSENCE.com: What inspired you to start the collection?
JENNIFER HUDSON: Well I’ve always had a love for clothes and the opportunity came about for QVC, for me to, I call it — “Jennifer-izing,” — share that style. And I have so many fans that are like “man, I would love to have this or wear that, but I can’t afford that.” So I make it affordable for everyone else. Some pieces are literally taken out of my closet and re-created at an affordable price for every girl.
ESSENCE.com: How were you able to narrow down the designs for your first collection?
HUDSON: By the season. I would say, “okay this is Fall, so let’s think Fall.” Obviously you want to throw a coat in there, obviously you want to throw a jacket or something like that — things that are going to keep you nice and cozy. As far as colors, again, I let the seasons lead me with those things. For fall I think of earth tone colors, nothing too bright. For Spring, I think of butterflies or just soft or really light colors, so that kind of helped me narrow down which pieces or what kind of materials and what color.
ESSENCE.com: Do you have a favorite piece?
HUDSON: I would have to say the coats are probably my favorite. They’re very tailored like dresses, so when you’re wearing the coat they still have that structure and shape and that dressed-up kind of feel to it. You’re still fierce with your coat on, whether you see what’s under it or not. It’s easy, every girl wants to be cute and comfortable at the same time, why do we always have to walk around in heels and things that are not comfortable? So I wanted comfort to meet cute, all in one.
What are the size ranges? Your catering to girls of all sizes, correct?
HUDSON: Exactly, that was the most important thing to us — to me and to QVC, because I felt like I’ve been every girl. I know what it’s like, and I would sit and look at pieces like, “I don’t know how I would wear that as the big Jennifer, or I don’t know how comfortable I would feel in this or that,” so I tried to keep every girl in mind with every piece. I want the size 6 to be able to wear what the size 16 is wearing and vice versa, and they both look good. That was my goal.
The Jennifer Collection for QVC will be available on QVC.com in September. Get a sneak peek of the collection here.