JENNIFER LOPEZ FASHIONS Her Sweetface will compete with heavyweights

It's a competition the already-established icon takes very seriously.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
NEW YORK -- In an age where every pop star and her mother has her own clothing collection, it's surprising that an already-established icon like Lopez is upping the ante with an upscale line (labeled Sweetface, a name she says an old agent used to call her) and a splashy fashion show.
It's something, she emphasizes, that she's taking very seriously.
"I don't fancy myself a big designer or anything," she says. "Anything I put my name on is not just about making a buck. If I'm going to take on a venture like this, I want to make sure that it's something that I could be proud of."
She has help, of course. A small team of pros takes care of the technical stuff, from sketching to styling, and business whiz Andy Hilfiger -- Tommy's brother -- is her partner in promotion.
"I was surprised when we started working," says Hilfiger of his A-list associate. "She knew the cuts, the colors, the fabrics, the silhouettes."
A good reason
She has to: She and her brand will be competing with fashion heavyweights. And whether she likes it or not, Lopez is following in some big footsteps.
In 2001 Sean "Puffy" Combs caused a stir when he debuted his Sean John menswear collection at the Bryant Park tents. Style arbiters were dismissive of the very idea of a rapper invading fashion's mecca. But Combs proved them wrong, and went on to win a coveted -- and credibility-lending -- award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
During Fashion Week Lopez gave those wanna-be celeb couturiers -- think Eve and Gwen Stefani -- a run for their money. Her presence on the runway was palpable. The Sweetface collection featured a $2 million pair of diamond-studded jeans (a nod to her "street" upbringing) and an oversized white mink version of the floppy hat she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards alongside red-carpet fur coats (a reflection of the "luxurious things" she's been "lucky enough to see"). The music she and Hilfiger chose mixed her own tunes (plus hubby Marc Anthony's) with rock influences, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Guns 'n Roses. And the models were a lot like Lopez, too, by design.
Can-do attitude
"I was looking for an energy and a vibe more than just a look," said Lopez of her casting choices, which included Naomi Campbell and Liya Kebede. "I wanted a mix. I wanted Latina girls, of course, all different types. But I was looking for that sexy street glamour. There are certain girls that are so not that. I was looking for girls with real power and energy, that are going to be sexy on the runway, that kind of can-do high-couture fashion, but at the same time they have a little bit of a street edge to them."
Lopez is extremely aware that her own image as a powerhouse style icon must be maintained throughout her Fashion Week presentation.
"Just being here, you have to be right on top and micro-manage," she said, eyeing a model who was pulling off a skirt. "Like right now she's getting undressed. I'm like, wait a minute, she's not done. You know what I mean? But that's the way you have to be, I care about it that much."
Backstage, she micromanaged even more.
After some TV interviews in mile-high stilettos, Lopez changed into terry cloth flip-flops and got down to business as her husband wandered about. Wielding a comb, she touched up Campbell's ponytail, then argued with stylists about how to make the thing stay put. Fretting and fussing (and fully aware she was on camera), the lady of the hour slipped into frantic designer-mode.
But that's what happens when you aim high, inspired by the spectacular shows from style titans like Dolce & amp; Gabbana and Christian Dior.
The tent itself, jet-black, was more stage than fashion show venue. Showgoers snatched handfuls of the tiny rhinestones covering the catwalk. And when West Side Story-themed lights flashed, they cheered.
After her show-ending walk-out, Lopez gave a triumphant fist-pump and headed backstage. She had, apparently, achieved her goals.
"I want it to be fantastical, but me," she explained before the show. "So it's fantasy because at the end of the day and you want big, beautiful pieces, you still want it to be you. You don't just want to put an ostrich on someone's head just because you want to be like someone else. It's very, very me."