No ‘She’ didn’t! Atlanta housewife Shereé’s weak debut

NEW YORK CITY -Contrary to what I had hoped, this is not a glowing review of She by Shereé, the new fashion line by a star of the hit reality TV show Atlanta Housewives.

The 20 womenswear looks that Shereé Whitfield unveiled Sunday for spring 2010 were, she said, inspired by the classic and timeless qualities of the calla lily. But the clothes were neither classic nor timeless. They were throwaway urban streetwear reminiscent of the early days of Baby Phat, minus the strong reference point and before the level of taste improved.

Sheree' Whitfield poses for guests

It’s not that the collection was without a point of view.  It just wasn’t consistent with the image Ms. Whitfield tried to project. She aimed for “…bold, strong…sexy…” What came across was shrill, forced, and juvenile. I couldn’t envision her in most of the looks, which is problematic because you can always envision Herrera in Herrera, von Furstenberg in von Furstenberg, Kimora in Baby Phat…you get the point.

There were some signs of promise in the collection. One was a bustier romper in canary yellow, something that a slim, chic college girl might wear to a nightclub.

But more attention should have been given to concept and execution of the entire line. Ms. Whitfield, who usually looks great on Atlanta Housewives, missed a golden opportunity to make a great first impression.

The technical aspects of the presentation deserve brief discussion because they must matter to anyone who wants to be taken seriously by the fashion industry. They are as relevant to image as the clothes themselves.

Rumors were circulating Saturday that the two-hour Sunday event had been cancelled. When I emailed the RSVP address that evening to gain clarity - the only contact point provided — I received a response that the show was still on for Sunday. But the time and location had been changed. Did they plan to let guests know? If so, when?

When I arrived at the Red Bull Space in SoHo after a cab ride from Midtown, her front-of-house workers had no run of show or other written information customarily offered. Inside, models posed three at a time on risers as music played and guests milled about, some snapping photos. Around noon, when the event was halfway over, Ms. Whitfield was announced, posed for photos flanked by her models, and then struck a few self-conscious poses alone for a few moments as cameras flashed.

I had to leave then for another show. Unable to arrange an interview with Ms. Whitfield, I sent detailed requests to the email address Sunday evening. As of this writing, I still have not received a reply.

After I left the show venue, someone stumbled into the place with a Kinko’s box full of information sheets, according to a colleague who was there. Also distributed were T-shirts emblazoned with Ms. Whitfield’s now-famous TV line, “Who gone check me, boo?”

A look from She by Sheree

In spite of the glaring shortcomings, many of the elements were there for a successful fashion brand launch. They just didn’t come together because apparently no one knew how to pull them together.

But all is not lost. Ms. Whitfield can salvage her brand and her reputation by working with better design and PR teams. She also needs to find her voice as a creative director. Some of today’s biggest names in fashion started with a limp and learned how to gallop, and so can she.