Maroon 5's Adam Levine launches 'tasteful' fashion line 222

 It's not enough to simply be a successful musician these days.

It's practically de rigueur to branch out into other industries, so it should perhaps be no surprise that Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has decided to launch his own fashion line.

Following in the footsteps of music icons Justin Timberlake, Madonna, P Diddy and Jay-Z, Levine's clothing line 222 will launch at a Las Vegas trade show later this week.


Levine gained a reputation as a clothes horse following his rapid ascent to fame, favouring flashy designer labels and performing in slick Yves Saint Laurent suits.
So his first collection may surprise.

It focuses on simplicity, including a minimalistic line of jeans, basic T-shirts and leather jackets.

Levine is also launching a women's line that will include silk dresses, knitted tops and wraps.

It ranges in price from $30 for a T-shirt to $1,250 for a leather biker jacket.
There are about 50 women’s styles and 25 men’s styles in the first collection.

'I’m passionate about fashion,' the 31-year-old  told Women's Wear Daily.

'I think it says something about yourself and, whether you care about clothes or not, what you wear reflects some kind of attitude towards style.'

Levine's decision to branch out into fashion is not as surprising as it may seem.
His father Fred Levine, one of his business partners, has operated a chain of boutique clothing stores in Los Angeles called M. Frederic for over 30 years.

Also on board with the venture are Fred's cousin Sami Cooper and Levine's stylist, Aristotle Circa.

And unlike many other stars with their own clothing lines, Levine plans to be very much hands-on in the business.

'I collaborate on and approve every single piece of clothing in the line,' he said. 'I’m not just hawking something because I’m in a famous band.

'I want the line to be successful on its own merit. I would love for it to be successful without my celebrity playing into it,' he added.

'But it would be a waste not to use it, as gross as that sounds. But I just want to put it out there in a tasteful way. I wear it every day, and I’m wearing it during every show of my tour.'

As for the name 222, it's apparently Levine's lucky number. 'It was the address of the recording studio where our band first recorded our demo and I have it tattooed on my left forearm,' he said.

Levine is currently on a national tour with his Grammy Award-winning band Maroon 5, and will not be present at the launch.