Kate Middleton: Sales Sensation

This little lull in public appearances by the Duchess of Cambridge seems a good time to look at the remarkable impact she is having on the apparel and accessories industry.

Leading up to the wedding many columnists and fashion insiders played down the significance of the Duchess’s clothing and accessory choices, minimizing her potential as any kind of legitimate style influence. Some began to acknowledge there might be something there (ahem) as both dresses worn for the engagement pictures rapidly sold out; the intense interest in pieces Kate wore for official events brought even more weight to bear on the topic.

A recent story from Page Six (the NY Post’s gossip/style/nightlife columns) about Kate’s style selections quotes J. Crew’s design chief:

She’s not putting herself up on a pedestal and alienating herself from people who can’t afford the extreme high-level designers. She’s breaking the rules where she needs to,” says Marissa Webb, the head of women’s design for J.Crew.

While Diana famously drew from designers and fancy gowns, Middleton has gone for more affordable and accessible wear, including a Burberry trench coat that sold out as quickly as photographs of her in it surfaced.

They estimated that just a single appearance could generate up to $14million for a brand or its stockist.

According to a Reiss spokesperson, traffic to their site was up 500% the day Kate wore the camel bandage dress, and a dress sold every minute.

“I don’t think Kate’s made a difference to sales: maybe a few hundred pounds. A pretty dress is a pretty dress; it’s going to sell, regardless.”

“And while Middleton has championed the midpriced designer line Issa and bespoke coats by Katherine Hooker, the only occasion when she’s worn a high-end designer was her wedding… Still, fashion watchers anticipate that Middleton will tap a top couturier when she starts attending black-tie galas in the future.”