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Looking Past the Olsens: Fresh Group of Starlets Vying for Tween Dollars
LOS ANGELES
The tween market is morphing almost as fast as its customers.
First there were Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Then Hilary Duff. Now, Miley Cyrus is growing her fashion empire. Who among the newest stable of starlets including Keke Palmer and Selena Gomez is poised to reign as the next tween queen?
The opportunities are ripe, although the category hasn't been immune to the recession. There are about 20 million girls between the ages of five and 14, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Girls between the ages of seven and 12 accounted for $7.45 billion in clothing sales in the 12 months through August. The same age group spent $7.85 billion a year ago, according to research firm The NPD Group.
All the shows like Gossip Girl and True Jackson and 90210 have a style to them; all these shows have fashion, said Palmer, the 16-year-old star of Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP. We all like watching this stuff.
The pioneers in the category are moving on.
Duff, 22, has been phasing out her four-year-old tween brand, Stuff by Hilary Duff, to focus on shoppers more of her age with Femme for DKNY Jeans, her collaboration with DKNY Jeans that launched in the fall. The 23-year-old Olsens parlayed their status as fashion insiders into their contemporary brand Elizabeth and James and high-end line The Row before signing a deal for a junior line, Olsenboye, sold at J.C. Penney stores.
Now, Cyrus, the 16-year-old star of the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, has teamed with MaxAzria to create a junior line exclusively for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and the Jonas Brothers hope to appeal to their female fans with a tween clothing line.
Dress Barn Inc. made a $157 million stock deal in June to acquire Tween Brands Inc. and its 908 Justice stores catering to seven- to 14-year-old girls. During the same month, Aropostale Inc. opened the first store for its new tween concept, P.S. From Aropostale, aimed at seven- to 12-year-olds.
Wal-Mart filled a void left by the departure of the Olsens' tween clothing label, mary-kateandashley, with Mad Style by True Jackson, a new fashion line inspired by True Jackson, VP. And Gomez,...