Whatever Happened to Avril Lavigne's Clothing Line Abbey Dawn?

Avril Lavigne has always been a style icon, but remember when she had her own clothing line?

Avril showed up to the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards in September looking better than ever. Pairing a pink plaid suit by Area featuring a large heart-shaped cutout with a sequined bandeau top, the "Here's to Never Growing Up" singer imbued a polished, high-fashion ensemble with her forever-rebellious, punky style POV.

Watching her present the year's Moonperson for Video for Good got us thinking, though: Whatever happened to Avril Lavigne's Abbey Dawn clothing line?

By the time Billie Eilish had joined her edgy pop predecessor to collect the award for "Your Power," we were determined to go down the rabbit hole and find out what happened to Avril's stint as a fashion designer. After all, it can't be so complicated, right?

Avril first launched her namesake brand Abbey Dawn in 2008. The line's name stemmed from a nickname the singer's dad coined for her as a child. "It was a street he saw," she revealed at the time. "And all my friends in high school called me Abbey. I always really liked the name. I didn’t know if maybe I would name my girl Abbey if I had a girl one day, or a song name. So I had a clothing line first, so I named it Abbey Dawn."

Originally, the fashion line was available exclusively at Kohl's, and was marketed as a juniors lifestyle brand featuring hoodies, jeans, t-shirts and more — the vibe of which was mirrored in the cover art for Avril's 2007 album The Best Damn Thing. (Think girly, bratty and loud, with plenty of pink, zebra print and skulls.) "It’s rock glam: fun, colorful, and edgy," the star said of Abbey Dawn's aesthetic upon its release, adding, "I want it to be available to a lot of girls, and I want it to be affordable

That fall, the brand went global with Japanese department store LaForet Harajuku hosting its own Abbey Dawn pop-up, and in September 2009, Avril's line made its runway debut at New York Fashion Week — set to a soundtrack of the singer's biggest hits such as 2002's "Sk8er Boi" and 2007's "Girlfriend," of course.

By 2011, while Abbey Dawn had continued to grow, Avril's partnership with Kohl's had expired. So, the singer-turned-designer did what any punk rock princess would do: she took the label independent, selling it online and finding a home in punk-inspired clothing boutiques around the country.

She also used her platform as a musical artist to keep eyes on the brand, heavily featuring Abbey Dawn in the music video for her 2011 hit "What the Hell" (and at a vintage store, no less!) as she pranced around New York City with a lovestruck paramour in pursuit.

In 2013, Abbey Dawn reached a new height with its SS13 runway show at Fashion Week by casting none other than Kylie Jenner as a face of the brand. (Could it have had something to do with Avril's years-long relationship with Kylie's older half-brother Brody Jenner? Though often forgotten, the singer dated The Hills star from 2010 to 2012.)

While a then-teenage Kylie made her runway debut as a model, the entire Kardashian clan was in attendance, cheering her on from the front row and adding serious star power to the event.

By now, some of Abbey Dawn's earliest designs could well be considered on their way to vintage status. But even though we may not have heard much from Avril on the fashion front lately, the brand is still around! Abbey Dawn maintains an active Instagram page with nearly 75,000 followers as well as an e-commerce store — though today the designs tend toward simple, unisex branded merch rather than anything particularly ready-to-wear.

And don't worry, Avril's still the face of her eponymous line. Just this past summer, she was featured in the brand's new campaign for its timely Abbey Dawn face masks and cozy fall-ready hoodies. Looks like Abbey Dawn had a (my) happy ending after all!

Major Celebrity Makeovers

ncG1vNJzZmion6Wws8HSoWWcp51kxKmt056tnqpdna6xvMSnnJ1lpKR6osLRoqNmpJGrtqi6xKxknKSfqbWqusZmo6KmlWKuo67EsmSdmaejfA%3D%3D