Justin Bieber has been representing the clothing company Drew House for years – or, is that has. The comfy, oversized streetwear line, marked by a cartoonish yellow smiley face, became practically synonymous with the pop singer himself. But that may be over now.
In a rare and unusually blunt move, Bieber recently took to social media to publicly sever ties with the brand. “I Justin Bieber am no longer involved in this brand,” he wrote in an Instagram Story posted on Thursday, April 10. “Drewhouse doesn’t represent me or family or life.”
He didn’t stop there. “If you’re rocking with me the human Justin Bieber don’t waste your money on drewhouse,” he added.
While he didn’t explain what prompted the split, it’s clear that Bieber wants his followers to stop associating him with the label. He’s already teased a new fashion endeavor — a brand called SKYLRK — though there’s been no product drop or launch timeline announced just yet.
Bieber’s public distancing from Drew House isn’t as rare as it might seem. Several other major musicians have either launched fashion labels or attached their names to brands, only to later walk away, move on quietly, or let the company dissolve entirely.
Rihanna – Fenty
In 2019, Rihanna made history when she teamed up with luxury giant LVMH to launch Fenty, becoming the first Black woman to head a brand under the fashion conglomerate. The project was ambitious — high-end pieces with a modern, edgy aesthetic. But just two years later, in 2021, the brand was “put on hold.”
There was no scandal with this disappointment, just a quiet wind-down linked to underwhelming sales and shifting priorities at LVMH. Rihanna never issued a major statement about its closure. Instead, she shifted focus to her booming Savage X Fenty lingerie brand and her bestselling Fenty Beauty line, the success of which prompted the founding of Fenty.
Beyoncé – House of Deréon
Long before Ivy Park, Beyoncé had House of Deréon. She and her mother Tina Knowles launched the label in 2006, pitching it as a blend of high fashion and street style, with family roots in every design.
But as Beyoncé’s star continued to rise, House of Deréon quietly disappeared. By the mid-2010s, the brand had faded from public view, and it was clear that Beyoncé had moved on. She worked hard to push the line, even name dropping it in some of her songs, but it wasn’t enough to make the company a long lasting success story.
Gwen Stefani – L.A.M.B.
Gwen Stefani’s personal style has always been a signature part of her brand, so when she launched L.A.M.B. in 2003, it seemed to make total sense. The line — named after her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. — reflected her eclectic fashion tastes and enjoyed some success in the 2000s, even appearing at New York Fashion Week. Rave reviews don’t translate to sales, though.
But by the late 2010s, the brand’s visibility shrank. Stefani, now busy with her makeup line GXVE Beauty, hasn’t publicly discussed L.A.M.B. in years. The big ticket items didn’t appeal enough to wealthy consumers, and the singer’s fan base might not have had the cash to keep the business going.
Jay-Z – Rocawear
In the early 2000s, Rocawear was the top hip-hop fashion label. Co-founded by Jay-Z in 1999, it quickly became massively successful, and reportedly brought in $700 million a year in sales at one point. In 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights for a reported $204 million in cash, but stayed on in a creative role.
As the years went on and the brand’s cultural footprint diminished, Jay-Z gradually stepped away. There was no dramatic fallout – unlike what’s going on with Bieber at the moment – but the mogul no longer mentions the label that once helped turn him into the business, man, that he’s known as today.
Justin Timberlake – William Rast
Justin Timberlake co-founded William Rast in 2005 with his childhood friend Trace Ayala. The denim-heavy brand blended Southern charm with a fashion-forward edge and quickly gained traction in department stores and with celebrity fans. Sadly, by the mid-2010s, Timberlake had pulled back, and the brand struggled to maintain relevance. The line’s website is still up, but advertising clothing offered for fall 2020, so it seems that new product isn’t coming anytime soon.