Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC ImagesCelebs who get into the fashion game have the odds notoriously stacked against them. For every Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, there are a dozen DMXs, LiLos and even SPJs (whose clothing brands Bloodline, 6126 and Bitten have...well, bitten the dust).
Next up to bat may be Antonio Banderas, he of smoldering accent and, yes, refined style, who announced his move into fashion, The Huffington Post reported.
"I'm going to study clothing design. It's something that has been on my mind for a long time," he announced on a British talk show.
While such a statement might cue eye rolling from dedicated fashion plates, consider this: By "study clothing design," he doesn't mean slapping his name on a fast fashion capsule collection; Banderas plans to learn actual fashion design by attending the prestigious Saint Martins University in London—a school that counts such accomplished designers as Stella McCartney and Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci among alums.
"It's going to take a while but I need knowledge to take steps in that territory in the future," he said.
Banderas may not be the first celeb to come to mind when we think style star, but a look back on his outfits on and off the red carpet show that the man can certainly dress.
Couple his willingness to learn and sharp eye with the international marketing knowledge gained in the fragrance world (with eight men's and four women's fragrances sold worldwide, he has quietly built a fragrance empire to rival J. Lo's), and we may just have an exception to the celebrity-as-designer rule.
If Victoria Beckham can make the leap from Posh Spice to luxe designer, then why not this soccer player turned actor turned international Latin heartthrob?
Move over, Kanye—a new crossover fashion don is rising.