Vera Wang is known as the ‘Queen of Bridal’, and her lavish gowns are regally priced, with dresses in her Chinese boutique starting at 30,000 yuan ($4815).
However, the luxury brand has got into hot water over a controversial ‘trying fee’ for cutomers of the Shanghai location.
The Shanghai flagship, which opened in January, charges would-be customers nearly $500 just to try on the gowns. The amount is payable in advance in order to book a 90-minute appointment at the store. According to China specialist Red Luxury, the non-refundable deposit is deducted from the eventual cost of the gown but if a customer chooses not to buy one of the brand’s wedding dresses, then "the fee can be used toward other items in the store" but otherwise won’t be returned.
There’s some upset that Wang’s Chinese customers are being treated differently to her clients elsewhere around the world. The Shanghaiist bemoans the way that "nearly all foreign luxury brands seem to be doing their utmost to squeeze every last drop out of the allegedly ‘unsophisticated’ Chinese consumers’ wallets". While the practice of ‘trying fees’ has been present in a number of Hong Kong stores, it’s a new trend for a global brand, and the first time that Wang’s bridal customers have been asked to set down deposits before even trying on a piece.
The brand explains the move as an attempt to "protect the copyright of the designer". Design piracy fears are strong in Asia, where last year Dolce & Gabbana worked with authorities in a move to prevent Hong Kong residents from taking photographs inside or outside of the brand’s store, provoking protests.
According to China-based media The Global Times, the Vera Wang release "also states that customers will be barred from taking photos or filming at the store."
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