Prom Dates

Last month Discovery Consumer Products and Macy’s announced they were extending their licensing agreement for Discovery’s Say Yes to the Prom, creating a new line of dozens of prom dresses and accessories for high school girls. Say Yes to the Prom is a community-outreach spin-off of the Discovery series Say Yes to the Dress that involves not only prom shopping and makeovers but scholarship, internship, and mentorship opportunities. The deal began last January with two dozen dresses, as well as accessories.

While not a large category for licensing, there have been a number of deals in the prom gown space since 2010, mostly focused on the following property types:

• Characters and entertainment. Disney paired with Alfred Angelo for a range of prom dresses tied to Disney Princess, marketed under the Disney Royal Ball by Alfred Angelo brand, building on the partners’ wedding dress collaboration. (Disney has also paired with Ashdon Brands for a line of quinceañera dresses under the Disney Royal Ball label.) Meanwhile, Alfred Angelo paired in 2011 with the Twilight film franchise, making a replica of the wedding gown featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn–Part 1 along with a line of prom dresses.
• Designers and stylists. Brand Liaison began representing designer Sondra Celli for licensing in 2016. Celli is known for her appearances on TLC’s My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding and designs custom gowns, including prom and quinceañera dresses. Retail prom dresses represent one of her targeted categories for licensing. Johnny Wujek, a stylist known for dressing the likes of Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian, announced in 2017 that he plans to launch a range of prom dresses as his first signature design venture.
• Celebrities. Sadie Robertson, daughter of the Duck Dynasty family, has launched collections of modest, “daddy-approved” prom dresses with designer Sherri Hill. Hill also has been involved in prom collaborations with other celebrities, such as Laura Marano, an actress known for her work in The Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally.
• Camouflage. Leading camo brands Mossy Oak and Realtree have licensing deals for chiffon prom dresses, both with Carrafina, a private-label special-occasion dress maker. A variety of dresses in two patterns of Mossy Oak and one of Realtree camo are available.

Clearly not all properties are a good fit with this category. But those that have a thematic connection with gowns and/or a dedicated and loyal target audience of the right age may be able to build a viable prom dress program.