THE JOURNEY OF THE DRESS BEFORE THE RED CARPET:
We spot our dresses on the red carpet, while flipping a magazine, we see our collections roaming the world for trunk shows, we send them to countless of stylists for the endless events, we make sure the client gets her gown on time with the right packaging reflecting the house’s DNA … but with a big *sigh* before it gets there.
There is an underground of an army team work to make it all happen. Time is the essence here; and it’s all about making sure that the dress is getting from one side of the world... to the other side -literally- in a tight deadline! But how does this work? We sat with Murielle, the leading member in Maison Tony Ward's Logistics Department , to dig all these challenges up and get exclusive insights.
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS FROM THE LOGISTICS FRONTLINE:
MURIELLE'S INTERVIEW
In a fast pace world, we want to hear all about the challenges that this ‘hidden’ department faces.
The logistics world is full of bumpy challenges that pops up unexpectedly and that requires a good proactive plan, so the most important thing is to always be prepared and on alert!For Murielle, the biggest challenge is ensuring that the deadline is met no matter what and to safely secure the delivery of the dresses, especially during the peak seasons of fashion weeks and events where everything takes double the time… all while maintaining a reasonable transportation budget.
Take us behind the scenes of a dress going to a trunk-show or market week…
It’s a rollercoaster by all means when it comes to sending dresses for a trunk show or market week… I am literally moving around the departments from one floor to another to ensure a meticulous coordination with the sales and marketing team, which one are for the clients and which one are for stylists…The most important thing is the packaging that has to be done right; the dresses need to be packed with the right care, reflecting the house’s identity. Of course arranging the transportation with the proper courier, and overseeing any necessary paperwork or customs clearance that is needed to avoid any last minute tension.
Now, can you take us behind the scenes of a dress going to a stylist or celebrity… As we know this is a whole other story with deadlines popping up!
Deadlines are indeed crucial here! When a dress is going to a stylist or celebrity, I work closely with the marketing team to understand the specific requirements, and most of all the timeline: When is the fitting date? What about the event date? Are the fittings and red carpet done in the same country? I need to ensure for the dress to arrive on time and in perfect condition, under extremely high pressure from all ends: the marketing team, the PR person and the stylist.
We know that Cannes Film Festival is the real deal when it comes to logistics; We are talking about over 100 dresses being shifted all there! Tell us all about it…
This is the nicest yet hardest challenge of the year so far: The Cannes Film Festival. I guess it’s due to its high-profile nature and strict timelines with last minute demands from either our PR person present there or the stylist/celebrity.Securing placements for dresses to be worn by celebrities, navigating last-minute changes, and managing the logistics of transporting dresses to and from the festival in the middle of this chaos, requires precision planning and quick problem-solving skills. We have to work around the clock to make that happen, knowing that we prepare to have a smooth one over a month before… and yet we still get bumpy rides along the way.
There were situations where a dress has not reached its destination on a Sunday or holiday… but yet again we have always made it happen! Tell us how…
If a dress has not reached its destination on time, we have back up emergency plans in place -we always have that in the pipeline for those emergencies- We go for emergency shipping options, communicating with local partners for assistance, getting assistance from the clearance department... I personally think that communicating with the client or receiver directly is key to expedite the clearance process and providing updates on the delivery status. Sometimes things just got out of our control but we triple our efforts to make it happen.
As crucial as getting the dress, we, at Tony Ward Fashion House, are very strict with delivering the dress in the neatest way possible no matter the journey that the dress has to cross in order to get to its receiver.
It is part of our DNA.
Murielle’s last stop before printing the airway bill is making sure of that…
Packaging is done with extreme care to ensure the dress arrives in the most pristine condition. We use careful materials and techniques to protect delicate fabrics and embellishments, often customizing packaging based on the specific requirements of each dress; under the house’s image.
Finally and most importantly after all these hassles and underground challenges… Tell us your reward
My reward is simply seeing our dresses worn and shining on the red carpet, in our affiliated boutiques, in the trunk shows, during market weeks or on the catwalk! Knowing that my logistical efforts have contributed to making it work, and receiving positive feedback from clients and colleagues is incredibly fulfilling and it motivates me to continue striving…