• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, September 15, 2008

Apparently, life as a pop star just isn't what it used to be.

I've been mulling this sad fact over ever since I got the press release last spring that Avril Lavigne would be "designing" her own line of clothing, called Abbey Dawn, for Kohl's. It was still on my mind when Sears announced that it would "partner" with LL Cool J for a full line of apparel. But it was the news this Fashion Week that Victoria Beckham has unveiled a line of ultra-expensive dresses that really got me worrying about all these musicians moonlighting in the fashion district.

(Oh stop it-if you're old enough to be reading this, you remember that before becoming famous for being really thin, marrying soccer whiz David Beckham, and snarling for photographers, Beckham used to be Posh Spice.)

What with CD sales continuing to plummet and concert ticket sales languishing, it turns out that savvier musicians recognize that they're just a few steps away from selling magazines door to door, and are increasingly trying to reinvent themselves as clothing and lifestyle brands.

"The real issue for musicians is that they can't sell CDs anymore," says Michael Stone, president and CEO of The Beanstalk Group. And while consumers are downloading music instead, musicians make far less on those transactions, "so they need to find alternative sources of revenues, and alternative ways to burnish their reputation."

(Stone knows what he's talking about. Beanstalk, an Omnicom-owned company, has partnered with such celebs as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen -- those Walmart powerhouses -- as well as Paris Hilton and Rachel Zoe.)

But not everyone who can crank out a hit will be able to succeed in the jungle of contemporary retail, he says. For one thing, the backing of a major retailer is pretty much essential. And for another, loving clothes isn't enough. "You wouldn't believe some of the people I've turned down," he says. "They all think they have what it takes to be Russell Simmons, or even Ralph Lauren, and to build a marketing empire."

In reality, for celebs to survive on the racks, Stone says they need to be:

--Aspirational "Celebrities need to strike a chord in people that makes others want to be like them, in some way."

--Resonant Sarah Jessica Parker is a natural for the fashion world, he says, not just because she's chic, but because her TV character appealed to a very specific audience of young women.

--A sweatshop work ethic "It's not as simple as just appearing in the marketing campaign," he says. "If the celebrity is not willing to be involved in the project at every level, providing design direction, looking at it at every step of the way, it's not going to work. And many aren't prepared for how demanding it is."

--Credibility with the right consumers "People in the target demo have to really believe in what they're selling," he says.

Sounds tougher than writing a love song or finding a new drummer. But the upside, says Stone, is that in most cases, there isn't much of a downside. "If a celeb launches a line and it fails to sell, it may be a disappointment to the celebrity and the business partners," he says. "But it's not going to have much effect on the performer's core career."