Vera Wang is beloved by brides worldwide. But the bridal fashion designer may have just lost some fans in her parents' native China, where a policy at her new Shanghai store has ruffled feathers.
In a move aimed at protecting her exclusive designs being openly accessible to Chinese counterfeiters, patrons will be hit with a 3,000 Yuan (Rs 26,000) bill for trying on gowns, and expected to book an appointment ‘several weeks’ in advance.
Pay per trial: Chinese customers will have to book an appointment several weeks in advance to get a trial and will be allowed on a 90-minute slot at the changing room. Pic/Getty Images
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The charge will buy potential customers a 90-minute slot in the changing room, and should they then purchase anything, the cost is deducted from the sale price — otherwise it is non-refundable.
This is the first time Wang, who has created wedding dresses for stars including Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Lily Aldridge and Alicia Keys, and whose evening wear designs are a firm fixture on the red carpet’s of Hollywood, has imposed such a charge at any of her 17 global flagship stores, although the practice is said to be becoming more commonplace inChina.
Born in New York to Chinese parents, Wang’s gowns retail in Shanghai for between £3,000 and £30,000, and with over 80 designs on show, the struggle to protect her exclusive designs will also extend to a ban on customers taking photos or filming in store.
This has obviously irked Chinese customers, who are seemingly receiving worse treatment than other Vera Wang shoppers. However, it is not the first time that a designer store has taken such a move to protect its designs.
In 2012, Dolce & Gabbana suffered a public relations nightmare when they physically prevented shoppers from photographing the window displays at their flagship Hong Kong store. This action resulted in over 1,000 people protesting outside the store on the street.
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It is rumoured that the Wang gowns are cursed. From Mariah Carey to Heidi Klum and Jessica Simpson, a number of stars have entrusted the designer with their special day, but it seems their marriages did not fit as well as their fanciful gowns. Mariah Carey married Tommy Mottola in a Vera Wang gown. However, they parted ways four years later. Jennifer Lopez walked down the aisle in a Vera Wang for her wedding to Marc Anthony in 2004, who she divorced in 2011
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