Pronovias adds Vera Wang to portfolio as it increases luxury offering

Designer Vera Wang has signed a 10-year licensing deal with Barcelona-based Pronovias Group to manufacture, distribute and market Vera Wang Bride in its global fleet of stores and wholesale accounts from October.

The deal with Pronovias will give Wang the chance to broaden her bridal audience worldwide while allowing the bridal group to solidify its luxury positioning and reinforce its expansion in the US and Chinese markets. It also builds upon Pronovias recent collaboration with New York-based luxury brand, Marchesa earlier this year to increase its brand awareness and luxury offering for brides worldwide.

The Vera Wang Bride collection will feature 60 bridal gowns and 60 special occasion dresses, fully designed by Wang and her team to deliver “an alluring, artisanal offering that the fashion-loving bride dreams of,” added Pronovias.

Commenting on joining Pronovias, Vera Wang said over Zoom: “Pronovias Group is an incredible and respected company and will allow me to reach a much larger world of brides, and by that, I mean globally. For us, that equates to giving us the opportunity to reach a whole other audience from every perspective with extraordinary quality at an amazing price.

“But the most important value we look for in a company when signing a licensing agreement is the ability to create a great product. Product is king; it is where it all begins. Covering all the subsequent steps are equally important in terms of distribution, brand positioning, manufacturing capabilities, financial muscle, a strong infrastructure, and an incredibly committed management team, who by the way, have to believe in me.”

This isn’t the first time that Wang has done affordable bridal, previously the designer had a line with David’s Bridal that ended in 2020 and retailed for less than 2,000 US dollars. For Pronovias, Wang’s designs will range from 1,600 to 4,000 US dollars.

Wang added: “Pronovias group enables me to support a new side of my creativity while growing what I believe will become an even more significant global brand at an intelligent price point.

“This has been a major shift in strategy, one I have long desired to implement and I certainly hope it will be a long and profitable one with an extraordinary strategy to bring more advanced design for a much, much larger market.”

Vera Wang signs 10-year licensing deal with bridal group Pronovias

The addition of Vera Wang Bride to the Pronovias portfolio represents the sixth brand for the bridal group, which includes Pronovias, including Marchesa for Pronovias and Ashley Graham for Pronovias, House of St. Patrick, White One, Nicole and Ladybird.

Commenting on how Wang will complement the other bridal lines, Amandine Ohayon, chief executive of the Pronovias Group, said during the launch event: “Vera’s collection is unique and very complementary to our portfolio of brands. For us, it definitely allows us to speak to an incredible new audience because her designs have been admired by many women for many years and we are able to bring those designs at a price that will allow Vera to speak to a wider audience.

“Strategically it is very interesting, of course, we can introduce Vera globally, but at the same time Vera is such an icon in the US, and North America is a very important market for us as well, so I feel that is such a perfect partnership for us both.”

International reach is important, the deal will give the New York-based designer access to Europe, Asia, Latin America, as well as North America, as Pronovias is distributed in more than 4,000 points of sale in 105 countries, with 102 boutiques in capitals such as New York, London, Milan, Paris and Shanghai.

Pronovias has stated that the Vera Wang Bride collection will be available in its stores and selected wholesalers worldwide from October 2021, with a collection of special occasion dresses designed by Wang to be introduced in January 2022.

The Vera Wang Bride will also be given a “unique marketing strategy,” added the bridal group, with its own web page and social media, as well as a selective global distribution strategy.

Vera Wang Bride to launch in October 2021 with Pronovias

On what brides-to-be can expect from the Vera Wang Bride line, Pronovias shared at the online press event that the collection would be characterised by the designers “innovative and iconic designs”. Taking inspiration from Wang’s archive, as well as incorporating the brand’s codes such as the way the backs are draped, and her use of “luxurious fabrics and materials, and hand crafted finishes”.

The bridal group also added that sustainable, petite and plus-sized options will also be part of the Vera Wang Bride collection, with the line being produced in keeping with the company’s inclusivity policy and that the dresses will be available in US sizes 0 to 28.

“My intention was to make sure that certain Vera Wang design codes were identifiable,” added Wang. “I wanted to keep creativity as the undisputed pillar of our brand, without sacrificing this new opportunity to reach more brides. Vera Wang Bridal designs express a great respect for the creative process, for quality, for individuality, for imagination, but above all, respect for women.”

Alongside bridal gowns, Wang has also developed an entire range of accessories from large flower corsages to headpieces to offer her signature total look.

Ohayon added: “It has been so incredibly fulfilling to work with Vera and her team, there is true commitment from both sides towards the new Vera Wang Bride brand.

“Vera ́s unique signature and iconic designs, together with our wide capabilities on sourcing high quality materials and technical abilities, is leading to a unique collection that we are very proud to offer to fashion-loving brides worldwide.”