While Melissa Joan Hart’s hit show “Melissa and Joey” will end after this season, there’s no slowing down for Hart. And if you think her next move is more acting, think again.
We recently caught up with Hart and she filled us in on her new clothing line for boys, King of Harts. And, of course, we couldn’t resist asking her about “Clarissa Explains It All,” her reunion with Britney Spears and why she’s super excited about her transition from acting to fashion design.
Tell me about your new clothing line, King of Harts by Melissa Joan Hart.
It goes back to my days in “Clarissa,” when I lived in NYC and felt like I could wear anything in the city. My style has always been whatever I felt like. When I had kids, I wanted to start a clothing line and make cute kids clothes. Two years ago my husband and I started to think about it, and by 2014 we wanted to do it. I hired a designer and we have been working away ever since. The designs we’ve been working on the last 14 months hit boutiques last Monday. We’re doing this grassroots style; my husband and I are the owners. We’ve gone to every factory, been there for every photo shoot. Our kids are the models. We are really working hard at learning this business and making a quality boy’s line.
Why the focus on boy’s fashion?
I wanted to do a boy’s line. My thinking was, why don’t we just start with boys and focus on graphic tee’s and grow as a company and see as we learn? From there, we decided we need a pair of denim, outerwear, army jackets. It became a little collection. And now with our fall line, we’re debuting it at trade shows, we’ve made it much bigger, added new styles, lots more denim in many washes and styles. We’re really enjoying it and we’re completely hands on.
Is designing harder than acting?
Thankfully, I have a fantastic designer. She does the legwork and we make the comments and then she fixes it based on our feedback and our kids’ feedback. We let her use her expertise and let her do what she does best. We’re running a business which is so different from acting. Figuring out the pieces of the puzzle is completely new to me. What I’ve realized is that this is what I’ve always wanted to do. Run a business. It’s fascinating to me.
How was it working with your husband, Mark Wilkerson?
It’s tricky. When you’re raising kids it’s a job anyway. You have to be realty prepared, so as parents, I just feel like this is another leg of that.
What’s next for you, after “Melissa and Joey?”
I’m gonna focus on being a mom. I just got home and haven’t spent any time with my kids. I’ll be shooting some commercials. And then I’m gonna stay at home and work on our kids’ homework with them . It’s been a year since I’ve been home! I’m gonna have fun with them.
What do you love most about spring style? What’s your go-to look?
The denim jacket. Who doesn’t love a great denim jacket? And rainboots. A good pair of Wellies for sure.
And I have to ask – you and Britney Spears recently reunited at her Vegas show. How was that?!
Unfortunately we didn’t get a whole lot of time together. I didn’t want to keep her. It was so nice to see her, I would love to get our boys together and catch up! It was quick hello, and a picture. It’s funny, that photo blew up!
