By Samantha Critchell
The Associated Press

"Crossover" is a common term in the music industry when a rapper or country crooner, for instance, makes the leap to pop star. But there is a growing group of new crossover artists: musicians who conquer the fashion world.

Phat Farm, Sean John and Rocawear are among the urban clothing brands under the creative direction of rap moguls and stars (Russell Simmons, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z, respectively) that have proven their popularity with clothing shoppers in middle America.

Jennifer Lopez's J.Lo clothes fill racks in department stores' juniors and girls sections, and her fragrance Glow by J.Lo will be doing a duet with Celine Dion's self-named new scent at cosmetic counters this spring.

Latina pop singer Thalia's line will be in Kmart stores this summer, and Gwen Stefani, lead singer of the pop band No Doubt, hopes to have her collection of contemporary clothing called Lamb available to shoppers in 2004.

Consumers typically have a short but passionate love affair with these products because of the glamour they represent, says Kurt Barnard, president of Barnard's Retail Consulting Group, which forecasts trends and consumer spending patterns.

"It is the attraction of seeing something on TV and being able to attain it," he says. "The fashions might even be horrible, but they (consumers) will wear it anyway because John Doe is wearing it and he's great."

Mr. Barnard cautions that most of these music stars are courting the most fickle fashionistas - juniors. "They'll love you today and won't remember you exist tomorrow."

Rappers - and relatives - Percy "Master P" Miller and Lil' Romeo are offering complementary father-son clothes in the P. Miller Signature and P. Miller Shorties lines. P. Miller Passion for girls and women is in the works.

The clothes are "urban-inspired," according to the company, which means mostly velour sets, denim and sweats that should still look at home in suburbia.

It's a wholesome departure for Mr. Miller, whose gangsta rap music usually comes with a parental warning. He says the clothing line is part of an evolution that has made him more of a broad-reaching entrepreneur and more of a family man. Additionally, Mr. Miller and Lil' Romeo have signed a deal to star in a sitcom on the kid-oriented Nickelodeon cable network.

"I'm growing. . . . We talk about a family lifestyle and live it. It's a message that will resonate with people who see me and my son in business together," Mr. Miller says.

The choice to use Mr. Miller's given name and not his music moniker or the name of his well-known record label, No Limit, was a conscious one.

"I didn't name my clothing after my record company, my music name or Lil' Romeo because I want it to stand on its own. It's a brand. You don't have to like my music to buy it," says Mr. Miller.

According to Jeffrey Tweedy, executive vice president of Sean John (www.seanjohn.com) , the collection is in its top form when the clothes attract a new fan - one who is not a hip-hop enthusiast.

"The customer I like best is the guy who walks through the store and says, `I don't know who this Sean John is but I love his shirts!' " Mr. Tweedy says with a laugh.

Mr. Combs doesn't appear in the ads anymore, though the entertainment impresario who heads Bad Boy Entertainment is still the creative leader of the apparel line.

It's a balancing act, explains Mr. Tweedy. "Sean John is his (Combs') vision but it's not built around him."

What Sean John (Mr. Combs' first and middle names) set out to was to infuse some excitement into the fashion industry, Mr. Tweedy says. "We see it as `fashiontainment.' It (fashion) is like movies or music. They all should entertain the soul."

While Sean John and P. Miller are hoping to develop fashion followings, Kmart is hoping Thalia will lure her fans into its stores.

A full range of women's and girls' products, including clothes, lingerie, accessories and shoes that are more colorful, more feminine and, to a large extent, sexier than Kmart's other offerings, will bear the Thalia label. "I want it to have a Latin flavor," she says.

Perfume, jewelry and cosmetics also are planned.

At a recent press conference in New York, Thalia explained that she will work with Kmart's design team in developing the garments, saying it was important to her that the line fit all body types.

She vows to stay closely associated with the line, including starring in the ad campaign. "I've always been very active in my appearance - down to every detail - so this is very easy for me."