Jennie Garth, the 52-year-old actress, activist, and designer, has partnered with QVC to launch the “Me” by Jennie Garth collection.
The QVC-exclusive apparel collection will premiere when Garth debuts it on QVC.com on July 29th at midnight ET, and will be released monthly thereafter.
Garth explained that the brand name “I Choose Me” came from a scene from an episode of 90210 in which her character, Kelly Taylor, was asked to choose between Brandon and Dylan, to which Kelly replied, “I choose myself.”
“I felt there was a gap in need for people my age, in their 40s and 50s, for something that was easy to access, easy, an easy decision to make every morning,” Garth said in a phone interview from her home in California.
Jennie Garth wearing a dress called “Me” by Jennie Garth.
Courtesy of QVC
“That’s why I’m spearheading the world of ‘I Choose Myself’ podcast alongside my clothing brand, to empower women to wear what they think is cute, what they love, what they’re comfortable in, and not put so much pressure on themselves every day,” she said.
According to Garth, the collection is “an opportunity to speak to the women in the QVC audience and so many of my viewers who grew up with me and loved my style and asked me, ‘Where did you get that dress?’ It’s for all of them.”
Garth loves to travel, and each month’s collection is inspired by a different place around the world. For example, his first collection is Big Sur, California, with a hazy, grey ocean vibe. His second collection is St. Innes Valley, California, with a more laid back cowboy vibe. Each collection will have 12-20 pieces. Garth plans to sell the collections on air every four to six weeks.
Garth said she had never designed a fashion collection before: “I had no interest in it until someone approached me to do a collection. I thought, ‘Why me?’ I haven’t been too involved in the fashion world in recent years, but I realised I’ve been dressed by some of the biggest costume designers my whole life, so I guess I know more than I realise.”
“I didn’t go to fashion school,” Garth, a mother of three, continued. “I have a daughter[Laura Facinelli]who actually does fashion. She’s my design partner. She’s 21 years old. She’s been learning every step of the way with me and learning what it’s like to build a brand, design a fashion line and curate a monthly collection.”
Speaking about her own style, Garth said the collection reflects the different sides of her personality: “I’ve gone through a lot of different styles. Some days I wake up and feel girly and soft. Some mornings I want to feel more bossy and some days I’m more tomboyish. So I have a lot of different styles and I don’t want to pigeonhole myself into any one style. Every time you wake up it’s a new day to define and reinvent yourself. That’s the great thing about being a woman, you get to choose how you dress and how you feel about yourself. This is my way of supporting women to make their own choices.”
Garth is not new to the QVC family, having previously collaborated with friend Tori Spelling on a seasonal home collection called “The BFF Collection by Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling” in January 2023.
When asked what’s unique about Jennie Garth’s collection, Rachel Ungaro, general merchandising manager and vice president of fashion merchandising at QVC, said, “First and foremost, it’s her. She’s what makes this collection unique.”
“When I saw her on air and started connecting with her, I knew she had an amazing sense of style and would be the perfect fit to be our Q50 ambassador. She’s stylish and a great designer. She has a clear view of her brand and is a joy to work with. She’s very passionate about this, which is important to us,” Ungaro said.
Jennie Garth’s “Me” look, exclusive to QVC.
Courtesy of QVC
Garth described the collection as “a chic clothing line that’s easygoing and carefree, perfect for everyday wear.”
She says she loves wide-leg jeans. Her first jeans are called “The Jennifer.” They will also offer traditional, flare and bootcut styles. In her first show, she will show a wide-leg jean and a straight-leg crossover front jean with cuffs.
All denim pieces, including jeans, jackets, jumpsuits and skirts, are made from “Repreve Our Ocean” fabric, a recycled polyester made from used plastic bottles that are at high risk of ending up in the ocean. Each denim piece in the collection is made from 13-28 recycled plastic bottles.
“One of the most important things to me is sustainability and pushing the boundaries with QVC and making a difference for them,” Garth said, adding that he’s most excited about using Repreve Our Oceans on the denim.
Ungaro said the collection features both casual styles based around denim, as well as dressier elements. “She uses a lot of satin, and a little bit of shine and sparkle for the holidays, which is very Jenny-esque. It’s all very versatile,” Ungaro said. She also said the collection has faux fur elements. “There’s definitely a way to wear it from day to night. It covers all aspects of life,” Ungaro said.
The collection features details such as pleats, ruffles and pintucks, and the denim features Garth’s signature on the inside pockets.
Jennie Garth models “Me.”
Courtesy of QVC
“There’s a piece for everything. We wore our debut dress to the wedding,” Garth explained of the silk dress with lace detailing, over which she wore a new sweater.
Details from Jennie Garth’s new collection, “Me.”
Courtesy of QVC
The collection will include knits, wovens, dresses, skirts, blouses and denim, though the first collection will have more basic pieces than subsequent collections. Sizes will range from XXS to 3X and 0 to 32, with prices ranging from $49 to $129. Garth will release 18 pieces in the first drop. Ungaro said the line was created by QVC’s in-house design and development team.
The collection is aimed at customers between 35 and 55 years old, but Ungaro sees it appealing to a wider demographic: “We pretty much make everything that can be worn by any age. She’s a little more chic and contemporary, so we have a little more flair in that direction. I think it’ll appeal to a lot of people — our current core customer, but also hopefully new customers who don’t shop on QVC who know Jenny and follow her,” Ungaro said.
Garth also sees his 21-year-old daughter wearing the pieces: “That’s one of the fun things about designing with my daughter – she brings a fresh perspective. There are options that can really be worn by people of all ages – it’s all about how you wear it, how you style it and how you express yourself,” Garth says.
Speaking of bestsellers, Ungaro said, “I would say it’s definitely denim items, because our customers love denim. We’re also doing a big push on sweaters with innovative stitches and threads. Sweaters are a good category for us. Satin is also a fabric that looks really fresh. She’s doing styles that are very casual but very dressy at the same time.”
Garth has been acting since she was 15, but she says her clothing collection is her top priority right now. “Right now I’m working on building my brand,” she says. When she turned 50 two years ago, she realized she wanted to do something different. “I felt like I couldn’t just wait for the phone to ring. I decided to face my fears and take a risk on myself. I’ve been developing it for two years, and everything is starting to fall into place beautifully,” she says. The collection will be sold exclusively on QVC for two years, “and then we’ll see where it goes,” she says. Eventually, she says she wants to add shoes and jewelry to complete the looks.
In addition to her clothing collection, Garth has been busy with her podcast, “I Choose Me,” which she launched a month ago. The podcast is about positivity, sharing vulnerable stories and messages, and inviting friends over for discussion. “It’s a feel-good podcast that helps people process what they’re going through in their lives and connects the similarities in all of our lives,” Garth said.
When asked about the recent passing of his friend and 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty, Garth replied, “To know Shannen was to love her and I honestly have a hard time believing that she’s no longer here. It all happened so quickly. This is a great loss not only to me and my 90210 family, but to all who loved her. She was always an inspiration to me and I will remember her as such.”
Garth is part of QVC’s Age of Possibility and is also a Q50 Ambassador.
“Through QVC’s ‘Age of Possibility’ platform, we are empowering women over 50 to live their most fulfilling lives and bringing them fresh products and brands that celebrate this vibrant stage in their lives,” said Ungaro, who feels Garth will inspire women to connect with the idea of self-care and self-love.