WHEN Perthshire-based design firm Little Lies received an order for its £58 “Sweet Jane Olive Mini Dress” from a buyer in New York, the team didn’t bat an eyelid.
After all, shipping worldwide is normal for them and so, at the time, it was simply just another order.
What they didn’t know however was that the buyer was in fact global megastar and singer Taylor Swift.
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Speaking to The National, Little Lies founder and creative director Jade Robertson explains what happened and how she hopes it can have a positive impact on her business.
What is Little Lies?
Robertson first founded the company with her husband Stuart in July 2015 and, as she explains herself, it “started as an independent, online boutique from our spare bedroom”.
“We’d source things from all over the world and curate the wholesale styles into our brand. We’ve always been inspired by the 70s music scene, hence the name Little Lies.”
As time went on, the business grew and last year it hired a design team, meaning it now has clothing manufactured exclusively for their brand.
How did they find out about Taylor Swift?
In a post on the brand’s Facebook page on Thursday, it said they had something of a “wild day” when they discovered an image of Swift wearing their dress.
Asked how they find out, Robertson explained: “We had no idea. It wasn’t a press or PR situation. She placed the order under a pseudonym and we ship worldwide all the time so we didn’t think twice.
“But one of our design team has a brother who is a massive Swiftie and he recognised the dress right away. We initially thought ‘surely not’ but did some digging and realised it was ours.
“It’s still sinking in and I don’t think people quite comprehend what it means for us. You do see some people thinking, ‘oh girl wears dress,’ and I do get that but for us as a business it’s absolutely huge.”
Indeed, if you believe Time Magazine, there is arguably nobody more influential. The singer (above) was given last year’s "Person of the Year" accolade.
“For someone who has such influence to be pictured wearing something from a small independent business is brilliant.
“There’s been such a reaction and I just had no idea this would happen," Robertson said.
The firm has said that pre-orders for the dress are "flying in" on the website.
A message for Taylor Swift
It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for the team at Little Lies but Robertson points out that this is a great start to the year after a difficult 2023.
“I hope it somehow gets back to her how much this means. 2023 was a hard year no matter what industry you were in and to come into 2024 with so much uncertainty to have this and get such coverage can change the entire trajectory of the business,” she said.
“If you occasionally buy something from a small, independent business, it can be such a big deal.”
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