<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Sandra_blog_thumb_nb-e1271783381536.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-595" title="Sandra_blog_thumb_nb" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Sandra_blog_thumb_nb-e1271783381536.jpg" alt="" width="40" height="40" /> </a>By Sandra C.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><img class="size-full wp-image-1902 alignnone" title="Jlokolhs" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Jlokolhs.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="276" /></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #999999;">Photo Courtesy of www.myfashioncents.com</span></p>
<a href="http://http://www.wwd.com/markets-news/jessica-simpson-fashions-billion-dollar-baby-3396236" target="_blank">WWD</a> just reported that <a href="http://http://jessicasimpson.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Simpson</a> has broken the “$1 billion retail barrier” with her fashion / lifestyle brand. Hard to believe for someone best known for thinking that chicken comes from the sea! But this report proves Jess is no dummy—in fact, she is worth about $100 million. Not bad! Close on her heels is <a href="http://www.jenniferlopez.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Lopez</a>, who recently made news with the announcement that she and her husband, Marc Anthony, are going to launch a lifestyle brand exclusively at <a href="http://www.kohls.com/" target="_blank">Kohl’s</a> in 2011. The question that comes to mind: Is this going to work?

[media-credit  align="alignleft" width="145"]<a href="http://cbxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Jess.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1938 alignleft" title="Jess" src="/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Jess.jpg" alt="" width="122" height="178" /></a>[/media-credit]Like Jessica Simpson, Lopez has generated more news with her non-Hollywood pursuits than with her music or movie career (“<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/back_up_plan/" target="_blank">The Back Up Plan</a>” being one in a string of recent, forgettable films) However, “Jenny from the block” was recently named one of Barbara Walters’ “<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/barbara-walters-announces-fascinating-people-2010-jersey-shore/story?id=12264771" target="_blank">10 Most Fascinating People of 2010</a>”, and has a new stint as a judge on “<a href="http://www.americanidol.com/" target="_blank">American Idol</a>.” More importantly, she is also very busy on the business front as the new brand ambassador for L’Oreal, and already has a very successful <a href="http://www.jenniferlopezbeauty.com/templates/">fragrance line</a> with Coty, Inc.

But Jennifer Lopez may be at the point where she is starting to be less relevant to young people. Since she is no longer making music hits like in the Nineties and early 2000s, it will be hard for her to win the love and attention of today’s teens, who were toddlers at the height of her career. This mindshare is now being given to Taylor Swift or a lesser extent, <a href="http://www.selenagomez.com/" target="_blank">Selena Gomez</a>, also Hispanic, so it seems as though her hold of teens’ hearts and minds has past.

One opportunity, however, will possibly appear when the census data for 2010 comes out, as marketers will rush to fill the need for Hispanic targeted marketing messages, products and services. Because of that, Jennifer Lopez could possibly work as a spokesperson for this consumer population.

If J. Lo were younger, and her star still on the rise, this partnership would be less of a risk  for Kohl’s. However, because of the perfect timing with the census data and a subsequent increase in the focus on the Hispanic population around the time of the Kohl’s launch, the brand and its spokeswoman will both benefit for at least a short period. Only time will tell if the stars will align for her brand to become as successful as...Jessica Simpson’s!