Netflix’s global sensation “Stranger Things” wrapped up on New Year’s Eve, but the show’s star Millie Bobby Brown certainly isn’t slowing down.
The actress on Thursday launched her latest venture, Mills by Millie Bobby Brown, a new young women’s fashion line created for Walmart in collaboration with Delta Galil USA, the global manufacturer and partner of Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills fashion line and companies including Splendid, P.J. Salvage, Seven For All Mankind and more.
“Two things were happening at the same time. One is we’re constantly looking at our fashion strategy to democratize fashion and be the customer’s first choice. We know that one of the ways we do that is through expanding our assortment, and definitely through national brands, style icons and style authorities. All of our suppliers and friends in the industry know that we’re looking for those things,” Ryan Waymire, senior vice president of fashion at Walmart U.S., told WWD. He added that around a year ago, Bobby Brown was also talking to Delta Galil USA, a key Walmart supplier, about the desire to create a young women’s, flirtier brand.
The kismet desires led to the creation of Mills by Milly Bobby Brown, which Walmart saw fit into the white space on its floors, as well as the value that Bobby Brown, as creative director and curator, could bring.
Bobby Brown told WWD she saw Walmart as the ideal home for the label because “accessibility is at the heart of what this brand stands for,” and allows more girls to experiment with style, participate in trends and have fun without pressure. “It’s a space where self-expression feels possible and welcoming.”
“Mills aligns deeply with my belief in confidence, self-expression, and inclusivity. It’s about supporting girls during a formative moment in their lives and reminding them that they don’t have to have everything figured out. Confidence isn’t about perfection. It’s about trying, experimenting and being yourself, and that’s something I truly believe in,” she said.
Her Florence by Mills fashion brand also serves as an extension of her personal style with inclusive ready-to-wear, loungewear, activewear and intimates rooted in self-confidence, optimism and comfort, with prices ranging from $8 to $85. But her new line for Walmart was designed as a love letter to her younger self, and the girls she continues to meet today, with more trend-geared, flirty and feminine styles priced $10.50 to $26.50, with sizes ranging from XS to XXXL.
“I didn’t want to leave that audience behind as I’ve grown. Mills is for girls in their discovery era, experimenting with trends, switching up their look, and having fun with fashion. I think they’ll especially love the flirty silhouettes, playful sets, cozy sleepwear, and soft intimates that are easy to mix, match and make their own,” she said.
The line also pushes forward Walmart’s work to “democratize fashion with great talent and provide an exceptional style at an exceptional price point,” and grow its younger audience, Denise Incandela, executive vice president of fashion for Walmart U.S., previously told WWD.
The Mills by Millie Bobby Brown debut collection features around 100 items across the sleep, intimates and rtw categories and includes dresses, tops, skirts, denim, bralettes and briefs, matching intimate sets and sleepwear. The collection is available to shop on the retailer’s e-commerce and in 750 Walmart stores.
In-store, the line will be merchandised across the young adult floor pad for its fashion and sportswear, with intimates and sleep living on the intimates and sleepwear floor pad. Online, Walmart is excited about the opportunity to display all styles in one place, which will further tell the story of how the line was designed to mix and match. Sportswear is hitting the stores now, with intimates and sleepwear heading toward brick-and-mortar in March; all styles will continually drop online.
“We’re planning for this to be a brand that continues and expands. We’ve had really great luck with brands like Jessica Simpson, and so we think that this really speaks to that young adult customer, and has growth for years to come,” Waymire said. Mills by Milly Bobby Brown will have drops throughout the year for their customer, who he noted is constantly looking for newness.
Within her role as creative guide and curator, Bobby Brown said she worked closely with the Delta Galil USA and Walmart teams to translate what she personally wished she had access to at a young age — i.e. pieces that felt playful, wearable and current, as seen through on-trend details such as flirty cuts, floral appliqués, feminine prints and eyelet lace finishes.
“I’m so proud of the entire collection, and my favorites really change depending on my mood, which is exactly what Mills is about,” Bobby Brown said. “In terms of my current favorite, the satin PJs are a whole vibe right now. I’m obsessed with them!”
