Katy Perry won the grand final but can she sell a dress?
Pop star Katy Perry put on a show, and we liked it. Now Australian designers are waiting to see whether Perry’s success with the AFL grand final pre-show performance at the MCG, where Meat Loaf and KISS had previously failed, extends to the fashion arena.
In publicity appearances for her 15-minute performance, Perry worked with her Australian stylist Tatiana Waterford on outfits from local designers Christopher Esber, Toni Maticevski, Ruby Pedder and Alix Higgins. These outfits were shared with Perry’s 205 million followers on Instagram, along with fan accounts, with mixed results.
“It has certainly led to an uptick in sales,” says Higgins. “But it’s not going to pay the rent.”
Katy Perry promoting her AFL grand final appearance in outfits from Australian labels Christopher Esber, Toni Maticevski and Alix Higgins.Credit: Instagram/@katyperry, Getty
Higgins was approached to submit six complete looks for Perry’s consideration before the tour.
“You take these requests with a grain of salt because 99 per cent of the time celebrities don’t end up wearing the outfit, but I had a good feeling about this one. They came back and specifically asked me to provide the outfit with the ‘Crush’ slogan,” Higgins said.
With the “Crush” top in Paris for a photo shoot, Higgins took to his sewing machine and crafted a new sample for the singer and crossed his fingers.
“The first time that you know that it’s actually happening is when you see the photograph of them wearing the outfit.
“You have to be prepared because generally the outfit that they’re wearing is what people want to buy.”
The $260 stretch jersey top is still available on Higgins’ website, with the designer having stitched up extra pieces, just in case. “You have to rely on the fans finding you, because the celebrities don’t always tag the label in their Instagram posts.”
The sales spike for the “Crush” top is not the career-defining moment that Issa designer Daniella Helayel received when Kate Middleton wore her blue wrap dress at the announcement of her engagement to Prince William in 2010 or the headlines Dion Lee made when Taylor Swift wore his corset top to the Super Bowl in February.
That could be a blessing in disguise for Higgins, who has just moved his design studio out of his living room and into a store in Sydney’s Chinatown, opening on Thursday. Issa was not prepared for the Kate effect and collapsed in 2015. Three months after Swift wore the Dion Lee top, the business entered voluntary administration.
“I think celebrities do an impressive job at assisting brands to have a much wider reach because they have so many eyes on them, but much more work goes into creating a business that will withstand the ever-evolving landscape of this industry,” says Emily Crockford, design manager at Melbourne footwear brand Alias Mae.
Sandals from Alias Mae have ended up on the feet of reality star, model and influencer Kendall Jenner. Brands will pay Jenner $1.29 million for a post on her social media, according to Vogue, but commercial results vary.
“Yes they help but no, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes to make a brand set for life,” says Crockford, who gained exposure by gifting Jenner product rather than emptying the Alias Mae bank account.
“We have found it’s of the highest importance to only work with celebrities that align with the brand and our customers’ demographic. When you get that right, we find it does convert directly to sales, plus is it amazing for your brand awareness and identity.”
Perry performing on Saturday at the MCG.Credit: Getty Images
Melbourne publicist Clemence Harvey has helped Australian labels work with Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton on promotional trips to Australia and agrees a perfect brand fit goes beyond a dress or shoe in the correct size.
“It’s important that the ethics and integrity of the celebrity and the brand are aligned,” Harvey says. “In most cases the celebrity’s team already have a clear idea of how they want to look and be portrayed.”
Not that Harvey has ever had a label say no to dressing a visiting celebrity because of a conflict in values.
“Are you kidding? Never. The exposure is too good to say no to,” Higgins says.
With orders still coming in, Higgins predicts the Katy effect won’t match the impact singer Troye Sivan has on sales when photographed in his designs.
Higgins explains: “He’s probably more aligned with my customer base, and he’s very generous with tagging us in his posts.”
If Perry’s stylist calls again, however, Higgins will be racing back to his sewing machine.
“Katy Perry’s amazing,” he says. “I got together with my friends to watch her perform on television. I never knew there was a pre-game show before this happened!”
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