Yesterday at NewPark Mall in Newark, the gleaming tiles of the shiny mall were void of foot traffic. Why, you ask? Everyone was at Steve & Barry’s awaiting the arrival of pop sensation Amanda Bynes.
I have never seen one line form so fast…
And that was only the outside - the line continued to snake around inside the store…
These kids were screaming and Amanda wasn’t even anywhere in sight!
You can’t see it, but the line went ALL around the store…
Nonetheless, Amanda Bynes’s line, dear is a casual-chic collection of versatile, youthful clothing that includes everything to dress you from head to toe - shirts, jeans, dresses, shoes, hats, jewelry and everything in between. Did I mention that there is not one price tag more than $19.98.
Amongst the squeals of “AMANDA WE LOVE YOU!” and ear bleeding screams of Amanda’s adoring fans, I had the chance to chat with her about “dear,” her shopping pleasures, her favorite designers and her own admiration for the SF Bay Area.
“I love it here,” she says with the utmost excitement. “The air feels cleaner. I don’t know what it is but I love being here.”
When I say excited, I mean EXCITED. She was full of pep and her energy was infectious.
Bynes signed autographs for her 5 mile long line of fans
Her line is very youthful, funky and very teen-appropriate. But to Amanda, the cost is really appealing.
“It’s affordable,” she says as her plastic bangles clang together joyfully. “It’s trendy. I love the skinny jeans and these shoes that just came in yesterday are so cute.”
She took off her shoes to actually show me. The glittery ballet flats were, in fact, an in-vogue item.
“It’s bright and colorful,” she says. “These skinny jeans are only $14 and there’s something about the way they fit that I love. I also love the hoodies and the shoes.”
She REALLY loves her skinny jeans. She went on and on about them and I couldn’t blame her. They looked great. I knew she was genuine about the love for her line because she was dressed from head-to-toe in “dear.”
“I love the way that these jeans fit,” she says as she lifts her leg and examines them further. “You can dress up or dress them down – I love everything about them.”
She almost made me want to get a pair for myself.
Sure, she loves her “dear” jeans, but what designers does she admire?
“I really admire J. Brand jeans,” she says as she takes a swig from her water bottle. “They do a really good job of creating a look.”
She ponders a little more…
“I like Nina Ricci - who does Reese Witherspoon’s dresses,” she gushes.
Once she said Nina Ricci, I gushed right along with her. We started to chat it up like two red carpet commentators.
“She just wore one of her dresses to the premiere of Rendition and I loved it.”
Anyone else?
“I have this Alexander Wang cashmere tank top sweater dress that I love,” she says.
When I went back to the mob of Bynes-fanatics, I was amazed. I felt the excitement in the air. It reminded me of when I was younger and I met Alan Thicke at the grand opening of a mall…ok, not EXACTLY like that but you get the picture.
I can admit that I am a skeptic of “celebrity designers,” but in all honesty, this collection truly reflects Amanda’s spunky nature and youthful appeal. It’s bright, it’s funky, it’s teen-appropriate - it’s “dear.”
For more info on Amanda Bynes’s “dear” collection, visit www.dearbyamanda.com.
P.S. Can I just say that I LOVED Amanda in “Hairspray”?
A couple of nights ago I watched Sydney White starring Amanda Bynes and I actually liked it. It was a fun youth-infused modernization of Snow White. More than that, I actually think Amanda Bynes is cute and talented.
With her candy-coated, girl-next-door smile, Amanda Bynes made America fall in love with her sweet beginnings on Nickelodeon’s All That and in the more recent hit movie musical Hairspray. On Oct. 11, Bynes brings her latest venture to the Bay Area, but it’s not a movie or a television show - it’s her new fashion line for Steve & Barry’s called dear.
