It’s 2021 and we still long to own an L.A.M.B. purse — but whatever happened to the brand?

Singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani launched her own fashion line called L.A.M.B. back in 2003, following a brief collaboration with handbag company LeSportsac. Her line of playfully printed apparel, nylon handbags, watches and shoes adorned the shelves at high-end department stores such as Nordstrom, Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales.

L.A.M.B., the acronym of Stefani’s debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., released on November 12, 2004, coincided perfectly with the fashion line. In a genius, but seemingly natural marketing move, tracks from the album, including "Harajuku Girls," included lyrics specifically referencing the brand.

"I want you all over me like L.A.M.B,” Stefani playfully sings in another song off the album, “Crash.”

Lamb By Gwen Stefani Spring 2006 - Backstage
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Hollywood A-listers such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Kate Hudson and, of course, Stefani herself, were captured by paparazzi rocking L.A.M.B. during the tabloid-era 2000s, making the brand irresistible to those wanting to be like their socialite faves on a luxury — but not totally unattainable — department store budget.

L.A.M.B. had mainstream success, appearing at New York Fashion Week every year from 2005 to 2011. But the brand took a three-year hiatus when the dates for NYFW overlapped with Stefani’s mom duty: getting her kids off to their first week of school. L.A.M.B. made a highly anticipated return to fashion week in 2015 and then seemingly ceased operation.

L.A.M.B - Presentation - Spring 2010 MBFW
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So, what happened to Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. fashion line?

Stefani, who began serving as a judge on The Voice in 2014, had been returning back to her ska routes working with her band No Doubt here and there. She also scored a solo Las Vegas residency, all while being a mom to three boys. The “Hollaback Girl” didn’t have time to run L.A.M.B. as a full line of products.

Today, the iconic and cherished brand still exists, but seemingly solely as an eyewear line.

“Designing eyewear is one of those things that I’ve really enjoyed. I think really it’s just fun for me because I wear glasses now,” Stefani explained with a laugh in a 2020 behind-the-scenes video.

L.A.M.B. - Backstage - MBFW Spring 08
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Stefani celebrated 15 years of L.A.M.B. in 2019, opening up to the Hollywood Reporter about the extensive process that went into running the brand full line.

“I devoted every free minute to it when I wasn't doing music, especially in the early years. But you need your own in-house pattern maker and a fully staffed sample room with skilled workers — and that's not possible unless you're doing it full-time with a giant global corporation,” she admitted. “While I sometimes regret not designing full-time, I wouldn't have been able to tour, do music and be a hands-on mom to three boys. I got to do a bit of everything and I'm really grateful.”

"I go to my Vegas shows and it’s really fulfilling to look out into the crowd and people will hold up a L.A.M.B. bag from back in the day," Stefani told Refinery29. "It’s really gratifying and it makes me feel good."

Lamb By Gwen Stefani Spring 2006 - Runway
Mark Mainz, Getty Images
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Although the original L.A.M.B. website has been deleted and the brand is no longer carried in department stores, original products from the L.A.M.B. collection lines can be found through resale marketplaces such as Poshmark and Depop. Stefani’s current L.A.M.B. eyeglass collection can be found through Tura retailers.

And the L.A.M.B. Facebook page is still active, focusing on the eyewear collection.

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