Blige designing t-shirt range for charity

Mary J. Blige is turning to the fashion world again to help raise funds for her women's charity - she's teaming up with designer Catherine Malandrino to create a t-shirt collection.

Last year (09), the No More Drama hitmaker designed a watch with luxury fashion house Gucci to benefit her organisation, The Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN).

And Blige is hoping to raise more money for the good cause by co-creating a line of t-shirts with Malandrino, which will feature empowering messages as slogans.

Malandrino - who sits on the charity's board of directors - says, "As a designer, I feel I have a role to play. What I want is to free women. Femininity is a strength and not a weakness."

Blige adds, "Even better, every woman can feel beautiful and comfortable rocking these Ts just about anywhere. Catherine has been a dear friend of mine for years and, after she learned about FFAWN and our mission, she offered to create a t-shirt collection that would celebrate being women, being strong and being free. These are not your average t-shirts."

The range will go on sale on 17 February (10).