Princess Diaries

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We've heard of Kate Middleton's golden touch not being very effective for brands when she wears clothes from previous seasons, but we've never heard of her patronage hurting retailers. Apparently the blue Issa dress that the DoC wore to announce her engagement almost bankrupted the small brand. Issa chairwoman Camilla Al Fayed explains, "Demand was so huge the business couldn't cope. If Kate wears a Zara dress, these huge companies have the backing to follow through. Issa was basically run by interns, students and Daniella [Helayel, the label's founder and designer]. There was no business model." [Vogue UK]