Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 248 - 243: Raise the Stake for Dreams

You’re interested in buying clothes, right? Sorry, there are no clothes left, try to come earlier next time.

If you’re genuinely interested in customization, the master still has twelve butterfly embroideries left, each a third of the size of a normal butterfly, and these can be used for other purposes.

These butterflies are too small to play a defining role when sewn onto clothes, but they can be used on the ankle straps or crossover straps of the model’s shoes.

The production of Maison Yan II is limited; there is no possibility to take new orders for this season’s clothes, not even for shoes, as the master will no longer continue with butterfly embroidery, so there will only ever be twelve pairs.

Once these twelve butterflies are fully customized, no future designs will have such exquisite butterfly embroidery.

Yan Yan and Yan Ling’s dream has always been about taking Chinese manufacturing and Wenzhou leather shoes to the world.

Yan Yan’s debut was spectacular, but if only the clothes are popular, there is still a great distance to the dreams of the Yan siblings.

Antique fabrics are hard to come by, and the master of Su Embroidery is old; it’s impossible for him to do the strenuous and energy-consuming embroidery work for long.

There’s so much uncertainty and variables about whether there will be such exquisite embroidery to support Yan Yan’s future showcases, and whether the master’s direct disciples can reach his height.

When it’s time to seize the opportunity to add to your dreams, you absolutely must not let it slip away.

Upon its arrival, Maison Yan II houses not just a workshop capable of miraculous embroidery but also has a shoemaking workshop, and the news has spread quickly.

You should know that handmade Haute Couture shoes, even for the top luxury brands, often involve collaborations with shoemaking workshops.

Even long-established luxury brands can only sell a very limited number of Haute Couture shoes per year.

This is why, despite the abundance of high custom shops, only Chanel dares to acquire so many workshops.

For Maison Yan II to start with such an audacious setup is simply reckless.

In an era rampant with spy shots, not opening to the media doesn’t mean they can’t get photos, especially when the creative team deliberately lets down their guard.

Yan Yan’s debut went from being set to definitely not sell, to ending with "no clothes left to sell", seemingly in an instant.

With the exposure of spy shots, the deliberately mysterious Maison Yan II didn’t seem as vulnerable as everyone had imagined.

Of course, the shoemaking workshop’s production is not limited to just twelve pairs, but scarcity is what make items valuable.

This season, they are only taking twelve orders, not one pair more.

Yan Yan is still focused on her own designs, staying away from the media and rarely appearing in public places.

Even if Yan Yan wanted to shed her aura of mystery, she couldn’t because she truly doesn’t have the time.

.........

The "aristocratic entrepreneur" Allegro’s unique marketing approach continues.

This time, Allegro is coming out to apologize.

Due to the leak of spy photos, Yan Yan’s media-shut debut, it was some of the less mainstream fashion media that first obtained photos from inside the show.

Allegro went to the mainstream fashion media one by one, and she apologized to each based on their importance.

Allegro apologized to each one, blaming the newbie designer Yan Yan.

Allegro explained that as Yan II’s designer is a newcomer, she didn’t understand the rules and when the first customer said they couldn’t invite the media, she thought it was true and didn’t consult with anyone.

She thought she could handle it very privately, but then some photos were leaked.

Since they were spy photos, they obviously didn’t come from the best shooting positions and couldn’t showcase the fashion show’s charm.

Allegro then provided the most important media outlets with photos and videos taken by "non-spy" photographers and videographers.

While apologizing, she stated that after intense "internal conflict," she had "overcome" the newbie designer, and from now on, she would handle all of Maison Yan II’s media-related matters.

Snubbing the most prestigious fashion media for the sake of pleasing one or two customers is something that will absolutely never happen again at the Maison Yan II brand.

If the rookie designer who doesn’t understand the rules dares to do this again, she will sever ties with the brand.

Allegro’s attitude was particularly sincere, effectively placing Yan Yan on her own, against both her and the media—a common enemy makes for unusual friends.

Media relations with Allegro were originally not bad, and unlike Yan Yan, Allegro never declared her positions to the media.

It was Allegro who advised Yan Yan not to speak in public and who criticized Yan Yan as a newbie but arrogant designer.

Of course, all this was part of a pre-set strategy.

Yan Yan’s show couldn’t possibly be closed to the media every season.

If she deeply offended the media empire in her first season, then when she later approached them, she wouldn’t be welcomed at all.

Allegro knew when to be arrogant and when to be humble, displaying none of the reserve that one might expect of a "trusted darling."

And just like that, Allegro had once again won over the media.

.........

In January 2013, after a successful debut at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, "Guest Member" Yan Yan didn’t even take time to rest before starting preparations for the second show in July.

Then came the third show in January 2014 and the fourth in July.

By January 2015, when Yan Yan began her fifth show at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, Maison Yan II had already become one of the Official Members endorsed and announced by the French Ministry of Industry’s Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture (Official Member).

Becoming an official member after presenting four Haute Couture shows as a guest member is a normal process and speed for Haute Couture.

What was unusual was that Yan Yan’s very first fashion show was at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

Even more extraordinary was the age at which Yan Yan officially received her Haute Couture title.

In January 2015, Yan Yan wasn’t even 25 years old yet, making her the youngest official member in the history of Paris Haute Couture. (note 1)

The title of Haute Couture is the highest honor for a fashion designer, and Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week is the dream of countless designers.

But Haute Couture has its drawbacks too: designers are firmly "locked" into Paris.

If you’re a top luxury brand, you can occasionally change designers and have a huge support team.

Maison Yan II hadn’t yet reached the level where it could easily change designers.

If the "Creative Director" was changed just as the brand was gaining fame, Maison Yan II could only ever be a flash in the pan.

But Yan Yan was already growing weary of the life of designing day and night, bound only to shows in Paris.

.........

note 1:

Yan Yan’s growth as a fashion designer seems a bit unrealistic to some.

But in real life, there are even more legendary Chinese designers than Yan Yan.

As a treat for genuine fans, the story of such legendary designers will be included in the author’s note.