The mastermind behind the famous 1981 Princess Diana wedding dress has made her way to Crowdcube! Elizabeth Emanuel, who has also made gorgeous dresses for other celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins, hit the equity crowdfunding platform on Sunday (October 12th) to raise £750,000 for her new brand, the Art of Being.
The campaign’s website shared the Art of Being is planning to offer a full service atelier of specialized craftsmen and women creating unique garments and accessories under Elizabeth’s guidance. The new brand intends to retain total control over the entire creative process and the manufacturing of all products ensuring the highest quality at all times.
According to the Telegraph, Emanuel’s dresses will be priced from £20,000, and her off the rack items will start at £1,500. With the funds, she will be employing 10 creatives and will aim to open a shop off Bond Street in London as early as next year. She also projects a turnover of £10M in five years.
It was revealed that Emanuel has made one-off designs for high-profile clients in the recent years, but this is the first time she has a business proposal in place. She stated, “The problem has been putting a team together. There have been various investors along the way, but they’ve always insisted on putting in their own team – people with no fashion credibility.”
She also noted that she chose the crowdfunding method after being inspired by other high-profile projects, including Kevin McCloud’s campaign, which raised £1.9M last year for his sustainable Hab Housing. The famous designer has hired Andrew Marshall, who has 25 years of experience working with brands such as Montblanc and Gucci as her chief executive. She approached Marshall through LinkedIn earlier this year. They are joined on the board by other fashion design experts, including Guy Tritton (Chairman), Matthew Richards and Charles Buchan.
Emanuel has dubbed her collection as “distinctive contemporary glamour” along with an “eclectic mix of romance and allure.”
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