Lady LUX

It was truly a coincidence. Two people were chatting on the sidewalk, and suddenly a new collaboration was born, reported WWD. Standing in front of a Grand Street storefront, Chris Burch questioned to his daughter Louisa whether the space was available to rent. Overhearing, Kelly Cutrone informed him it was not.

“What are you, the mayor of New York?” Burch—co-founder of Tory Burch, Tory Burch’s ex-husband and a venture capitalist—reportedly said.

“No, but I am the mayor of Grand Street — my house and my office are here,” Cutrone, reality TV personality, zeitgesit maven and fashion publicist of PR firm People’s Revolution, responded.

At the time, neither realized the other’s fame. After talking fashion and other topics, the two went to lunch. Deciding to go into business together, they came together to create the Electric Love Army sportswear line in a multimillion-dollar deal, recently finalized between People’s Revolution and J. Christopher Capital LLC.

ELA, set to hit stores in February 2012, will be mostly priced $30 to $300. The company bills the clothing as “sexy, fun affordable clothes.”

Starting with $5 million and two to five of its own stores—likely in New York and Los Angeles—the company hopes to expand internationally in a short time. The plans are still in the works.

The brand’s idea is based upon empowerment, with inspiration drawing from Cher, Joan Jett, Katy Perry, Debbie Harry in her Blondie days and other strong women figures.

Cutrone said the collection, targeting women 18 to 34, will be a mix of “some cool granola girl mixed with the ultimate fashion chick.”

“Most importantly, I think the combination of three of us can offer something unmatched,” Burch told WWD. “With my sourcing and business acumen, Kelly’s vision and creativity, Robyn’s know-how and the whole team’s ability to execute that, we can offer great clothes at a price women can afford.”