With a rocker husband and pop-legend father, it’s not surprising to hear that Nicole Richie finds design inspiration in music.

“I went on tour with my husband, [Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden], and I really wanted to focus on rock ‘n’ roll,” she tells Footwear News of her fall shoe collection. “I did that mostly through the color palette and beading. There are also some subtle skulls. It was important for me to keep the collection delicate looking, but with a little bit of an edge.”

In the interview, Richie says she’s thinking of growing her House of Harlow 1960 line into home furnishings, and possibly even footwear for kids. But “we are not expanding right now,” she insists. “It’s important for me to focus on every [existing] collection and make it the best version of itself.”

The reality star-turned-designer says she doesn’t put her name on her Winter Kate clothing and House of Harlow 1960 accessories because “it’s not about me,” she explains. “I want the product to speak for itself and have a customer go after it or stay away from it based on the product, not the name. That’s very important to me.”

And as far as feeling competitive with other celebrity lines — like Jessica Simpson‘s billion-dollar collection or Lauren Conrad‘s growing brand — Richie says there’s no bad blood. “I don’t think of it as competition,” she shares. “I just focus on [my own business], and that’s the healthiest way to go about things.”

Apr 05, 2012 – People Style Watch