Ellen DeGeneres Joins List Of Celebrities Offering Merchandise

Ellen DeGeneres has joined the “celebrity lifestyle brand” bandwagon, launching her own line of clothing, housewares and accessories. Fans and shoppers alike can now view the wide selection of “Ellen-approved” products on DeGeneres’ new e-commerce site EDbyEllen.com.

The talk show host launched her lifestyle brand ED on Tuesday, along with the e-commerce site, reported Fortune. Her brand covers everything from clothing and accessories to serving ware and throw pillows. ED reportedly has reasonably priced goods, with items ranging from $8 pins to a $365 cake plate. Apparel starts at $34.50 for a crewneck T-shirt and goes up to $245 for tailored jackets.

What makes the comedian’s lifestyle brand -- particularly the ED clothing line -- unique is that it features items “made for the rest of us.” This pertains to women who want to look good without sacrificing comfort. Laura Ries, president of the Ries & Ries branding strategy firm and the author of several books on branding, states that for a star’s brand to succeed, “it has to be very specific and authentic to them. Ellen has a really unique style, and it’s one that we haven’t really seen in the fashion world.”

In an interview with Refinery29, DeGeneres revealed how ED started, given the challenge of finding clothes that she felt comfortable in. “We started making my own clothes on the show and noticing that a lot of people who were coming to the show were trying to dress like me, but those clothes weren’t out there,” said DeGeneres. “I mean, I have a very distinct way of dressing, and clearly other people are responding to it, so that was the impetus to launch the brand. So, there’s a line that’s out there that’s not extremely feminine, it’s not masculine, it’s just comfortable."

DeGeneres' easy personality, wit and charisma has helped her build a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars, states Forbes. DeGeneres is at No. 12 on the Forbes Celebrity 100, with earnings of $75 million, overtaking celebrities such LeBron James, Ryan Seacrest, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.

Aside from hosting her award-winning daytime show, DeGeneres has landed endorsement deals with CoverGirl and J.C. Penney. She’s also an author, comedian and producer.