Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Cut-price princess: Tesco's replica of Kate's sell-out Reiss dress goes on sale - for just £30

Millions of women left disappointed after Kate's £175 Reiss dress sold out in minutes are set to get another chance to buy into the Duchess's style - but with a much lower price tag.
Targeting proles rather than princesses, Tesco's tribute to the beige Shola bandage dress is to go on sale next week for just £30.
The original Reiss design caused global hysteria among shoppers when the high street dress was identified during the Duchess of Cambridge's royal engagement with Michelle and Barack Obama.
High street queen: The £175 Reiss dress Kate wore to meet the Obamas has proved so popular that Tesco has made its own £30 version, on sale next week
High street queen: The £175 Reiss dress Kate wore to meet the Obamas has proved so popular that Tesco has made its own £30 version, on sale next week

Thousand of shoppers desperate to get their hands on the sophisticated dress flooded the Reiss website, crashing it in the process.
Many were left disappointed when Reiss sold out of the initial supply (only 1,000 were made), and found the dress was only available to buy on eBay with the staggering price tag of £600.

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The label's founder David Reiss - who was forced to deny the dress was made under sweatshop conditions in Romania - said that thanks to the demand they would be producing 600 more units of the Shola dress.
Copy Kate: The Reiss Shola bandage derss was a hit with shoppers, and has now spawned a £30 replica by supermarket giant Tesco
Bargain: Tesco's version of the Duchess of Cambridge's Reiss dress will cost just £30
Copy Kate: The Reiss Shola bandage dress, left, was such a hit with shoppers that it has now spawned a £30 replica by supermarket giant Tesco, right

'We are not greedy,' he said at the time. ‘I could have issued a repeat order for that dress of 6,000, 7,000, but I wouldn’t dream of doing that.
'The Reiss woman does not want to be seen in the same dress as everyone else. I ordered only 600 more to be made.’
But if Tesco's royal replica sells as well as insiders expect it to, it looks like the Reiss woman may have some awkward matching frock moments this summer after all.
Worse still, it looks as though the supermarket giant might just pip Reiss to the post with their version, as the Florence & Fred for Tesco dress hits the shelves on 13 June, while the Reiss dress is not tipped to reach stores until early July.
Jan Marchant, Buying Director at Tesco commented: 'Our customers love Kate’s look.
'She is now a true style icon and flying the flag for British high street fashion.
'Our similar F&F limited edition bandage style dress at just £30 is expected to sell-out fast.
Enlarge 
  Sold out: The Reiss dress flew off the shelves at the rate of one a minute after Kate's appearance, and desperate shoppers forced to turn to eBay are now faced with a £600 price tag
Sold out: The Reiss dress flew off the shelves at the rate of one a minute after Kate's appearance, and desperate shoppers forced to turn to eBay were faced with a £600 price tag

'Many women want to emulate her elegant look and we are delighted to offer Kate inspired pieces at affordable prices.'
Reiss have set up a web page so their customers can register to be the first to hear when the dress is online.
The Florence & Fred dress - in an almost identical beige tone to Kate's Reiss dress - will be sold exclusively online at Tesco.com from June 13.

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