Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins/Insider; Ethan Miller/Getty
- Bridal company Nicole + Felicia Couture designed a ball gown for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.
- The dress took three weeks to make and featured 200,000 hand-sewn sequins and crystals.
- Founder Nicole Chang said she relies on celebrity partnerships, not ads, to build the brand.
For all the money fans have dropped on Taylor Swift's tour, the singer certainly knows how to make it worth their while.
Part of what has made Swift's tour so memorable, apart from the price tag, are the unique looks she's worn on stage, from rhinestone bodysuits to dresses covered in shiny fringe.
Among her show-stopping looks was a sparkly gold ball gown with 200,000 hand-sewn sequins and crystals, created by bridal company Nicole + Felicia Couture.
Bob Levey/Getty
The company's Taiwan-based founder and designer, Nicole Chang, said she jumped at the opportunity to work with Swift, because of having already created two custom gowns for the singer's "I Bet You Think About Me" music video, directed by actress Blake Lively.
"It was a really great experience working with her, her stylist, and her team," Chang told Insider. "They reached out to us this time like, 'Keep it a secret, but she's going on tour, would you be interested?' And, of course, we said yes."
Chang's team had three months to design Swift's gown in time for her to wear it the opening night of her tour in Glendale, Arizona. The team met over Zoom and sent several sketches, beading samples, and mock-ups for Swift's approval. Once she decided on the final design, the team spent three weeks creating the dress.
After Swift debuted her gold gown on tour, Nicole + Felicia's Instagram video of the design process drew more than 19,000 views.
"With the digital age, it's all about creating that viral moment online," said Amy Chen, the brand's public relations manager.
Dressing celebrities establishes the brand
Although Nicole + Felicia is a wedding gown brand, it uses red-carpet events to establish name recognition. Any time the company dresses celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, and Halle Bailey, it can leverage that star power on social media.
"It really helps with brand name," Chang said. "We've done a lot of good collaborations, and a lot of good exposure, but that helps us establish our name here."
In fact, Chang said the company doesn't pay for advertising.
Much of its marketing budget goes into the custom gowns it creates for celebrities, Chen added. "Our main source of putting the name out there is social media and through celebrity partnerships and sponsorships," she said. "The money is really just for making the things that they wear."
Establishing relationships with celebrity stylists
So how does a bespoke bridal company land A-list celebrities like Swift and Bailey? It starts by building strong relationships with their stylists.
Nicole + Felicia's PR team first connected with Swift's stylist Joseph Cassell Falconer for the music video. "He was very happy with us and we had a very good chemistry," Chang said.
To maintain those relationships, it's critical to be flexible under pressure and meet deadlines, no matter what.
"Even if it's a rush order or request, we can always accommodate it," Chang said. "That's why a lot of the celebrities that we've dressed and the people that we've worked with really trust us."
Finally, never burn bridges, Chen advised. "Maybe there was something that went wrong, but this bridge could build the next big opportunity," she said. "Take it as a learning experience. The industry is so small at the end of the day."
from Business Insider https://ift.tt/hA845UG
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