Rocker Adam Levine launches fashion label

Move over Madonna, there’s a new rocker turning his talents to fashion.

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has branched out into a range of garments for both sexes now, with the line due to debut at the Project Trade Show in Las Vegas later this week. The label, called 222, is minimalist in its styling approach and includes jeans, t-shirts and leathers for men – as well as pared-down dresses and wraps for his female followers.

“I'm passionate about fashion. I think it says something about yourself and, whether you care about clothes or not, what you wear reflects some kind of attitude towards style,” he told the trade newspaper Women’s Wear Daily.

To nonplussed fans who don’t particularly rate Levine for his fashion sense (although he did display a penchant for Balenciaga early on in his career), the rocker feels he can make it work because of his father’s fashion business sense:

Fred Levine has operated a chain of specialty boutiques in Los Angeles called M Frederic for more than 30 years. Longtime stylist Aristotle Circa and Sami Cooper, a cousin who owns a manufacturing facility, are also involved. 

It ranges in price from $30 for a T-shirt to $1,250 for a leather biker jacket. There are about 50 women’s styles and 25 men’s styles in the first collection.

Levine insisted he’s involved in every aspect of the business. “I collaborate on and approve every single piece of clothing in the line,” he said. “I’m not just hawking something because I’m in a famous band. I want the line to be successful on its own merit. I would love for it to be successful without my celebrity playing into it.

“But it would be a waste not to use it, as gross as that sounds. But I just want to put it out there in a tasteful way. I wear it every day, and I’m wearing it during every show of my tour.”

He said the name 222 came from his lucky number – it was the address of the recording studio where Maroon 5 first recorded its demo and Levine has it tattooed on his left forearm.