Chapter 62: Beauty in Full Bloom
"Wow! Beautiful, you look so stunning tonight! Look over here!" The media professionals in Hong Kong are known for their keen senses and quick reflexes. Once they realized that Li Sishi's side looked interesting, they immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed over with their equipment.
"Why are you talking like that? Am I not pretty normally?" Facing the flashing lights with practiced ease, Li Sishi replied playfully.
"Of course not, it's just that you look especially beautiful tonight! This dress really suits you. Which brand is it? Or is it your 'secret weapon'?" Following Li Sishi's words, someone quickly raised this question.
Hearing this, many people perked up their ears: It has to be said that the reason why Li Sishi stole the show tonight, besides her excellent looks and figure, was that the ingeniously designed three-dimensional rose dress, which really added a lot of brilliance to her.
What girl doesn't love flowers and pretty clothes?
This dress perfectly combines two of the things girls love most, and they complement and enhance each other, creating a unique and vibrant beauty that makes Li Sishi's already stunning and charming appearance even more captivating.
Unfortunately, this dress has never been featured in any fashion show or magazine. So, either Li Sishi somehow obtained an unreleased new design from a clothing brand, or she actually had it designed and customized herself—which is why people are asking which brand it is or what the "secret weapon" is.
If it's the former, it's fine; at most, she'll get free publicity, and everyone can buy such a uniquely designed and beautiful dress. But if it's the latter... then she can only look on with envy but can't actually do anything about it.
"Well, this is a secret for now. You'll find out soon enough," Li Sishi said mysteriously.
Hearing Li Sishi's answer, the media surrounding her and those eavesdropping breathed a sigh of relief: if it needed to be kept secret, then it was probably an unreleased new style from a certain clothing brand.
That's alright, at least everyone still has hope of buying it—although this design isn't too difficult to imitate, and with a little effort, one can replicate it to a near-perfect degree. But tonight, Li Sishi is going to showcase this three-dimensional flower design on the skirt to the entire Hong Kong public, and do so so perfectly…
If others try to "copy" it, they will be doing something inferior.
Conversely, if this were to become a product of a clothing brand, then it would be a future "trend".
The style remains the same; if you retain this key element and then create some different designs, it will still be a new and beautiful dress.
Looking at the various people with different thoughts on the scene, and then at the media people's darting eyes, Li Sishi felt a bit more at ease: Very good, this effect has already been achieved backstage. When the stage lights are on and the close-up shots are pushed, the audience in front of the TV will only feel more amazed and excited.
The design of the three-dimensional flowers on the skirt is the product of a future fashion show. After it came out, it became a hit and inspired countless imitations. Although the feeling of beauty is subjective, it is universal in many cases, as long as it is truly "beautiful" enough.
Now that there have been successful examples, Li Sishi is not worried at all that this design will not be popular. The only question now is how much she can sell it for...
Currently, someone has already been vying for her design and dress—coincidentally, the person who took a liking to the design at first glance is the short-haired girl who filmed the Lo Kee Telecom "Voice of Love" advertisement with her before. Her name is Lai Wan-chen, and she is the heiress of the well-known Hong Kong fashion brand "Theme" chain store.
Originally, Li Wanzhen wanted to win the lead role in the Sunshine Lemon Tea commercial, but she was taken away by her family because she competed too fiercely with other second-generation rich kids. So, she still had her eye on the more expensive Lo Kee Telecom commercial and finally won the role of the short-haired girl who helped her injured best friend get an autograph at a concert. She and Li Sishi were able to chat a few words on set.
According to Li Sishi's memory, the brand "Theme" was characterized by "fashion, freshness, and beauty" and targeted white-collar women aged 25 to 35. It advocated high-quality products at mid-range prices, catering to both business attire and casual wear, suitable for contemporary fashionable women to wear on different occasions. It was extremely popular in Hong Kong for a time—in the 1990s, many fashion dramas on TVB featured clothing sponsored by this brand.
But after the brand was acquired, it gradually declined. Li Sishi didn't know the reason, but it was just one of those reasons that led to its rise and fall. She didn't have the right to care about it now.
Originally, Li Sishi didn't plan to collaborate with "Theme" because the brand doesn't produce many formal dress designs. However, unfortunately, all she currently has are titles like beauty pageant contestant and advertising goddess, and she doesn't have any solid works to maintain her fame. Many big brands have high standards and are unwilling to collaborate with a newcomer like her whose future development is uncertain...
Of course, another point is that she is still too young, and many people feel that she is not yet capable of handling certain...some things that require more time.
Only clothes that possess the charm bestowed by age and experience can truly carry off.
After all, the people who spend the most in Hong Kong are those wealthy socialites who don't blink an eye when it comes to money.
Most women who reach this stage have passed their youthful and tender phase and have reached an age that best aligns with the current aesthetic standards of Hong Kong people, possessing "mature charm."
Influenced by international aesthetic standards, Hong Kong people's preference for bust size over flat chests is nothing new. The reason why Li Sishi can only be described as "beautiful" but not "the ultimate heartthrob" in their eyes is twofold: firstly, she is too young and therefore "lacks that allure," and secondly, although she has a slender, well-proportioned figure with all the right curves, she still falls short of the busty, sexy figure that Hong Kong people adore.
Therefore, Li Sishi had no choice but to take a step back and look for opportunities with brands that were more geared towards a younger demographic. As a result, Li Wanzhen, who took the initiative to approach her, became a strong recommender of this dress and its design.
Unfortunately, although Li Wanzhen was the heiress, she didn't have much say in the company. After several rounds of negotiations, they still couldn't reach an agreement on the cooperation details. This angered her so much that every time she called Li Sishi, she would first scold those "inflexible old fogies."
...
Knowing that it was a group of conservatives in their company who were unwilling to add a dress line, Li Sishi comforted Li Wanzhen and then came up with a solution with her. They suggested making a "sample" first, and then wearing it tonight at the anniversary charity performance to show those "old fogies" how popular the design is and how much people love a dress that can be worn for both banquets and everyday occasions.
This is the real reason why Li Sishi didn't change into this dress until the night of the performance.
After being bombarded by the media, while waiting for notification to go on stage, Li Sishi took out her mobile phone and called Li Wanzhen, who was eagerly waiting, to say that her appearance tonight was very successful and that she thought the live broadcast would be quite "outstanding" and "exciting".
"That's great! I can't wait to figure out how to slap those old fogies in the face tomorrow!" Li Wanzhen said happily on the other end of the phone, then couldn't help but ask again, "By the way, are you really planning to buy out this design outright, instead of signing a revenue-sharing agreement?"
Although a one-time buyout would make subsequent cooperation negotiations easier, a revenue-sharing agreement would ultimately earn them more money. Since Li Sishi was a powerful ally in helping her seize power in the company, Li Wanzhen believed that she was not a partner who didn't understand the importance of a long-term, sustainable partnership.
Look at the big brands
Although she doesn't admire Li Sishi now, their second-tier brand can gamble on Li Sishi's future development. Moreover, many of Li Sishi's cousin's old design drafts, which are still in school, give her a refreshing feeling. She seems to be a talented seedling. Li Wanzhen understands the principle of making a quick profit and running away versus a long-term, steady partnership with new collaborations in the future.
“Thank you for your kindness, but I’m just starting out and need some development funds. Also, my family wants to buy a house recently, so this time I plan to sell it at a higher price to prepare some assets.” After thanking Li Wanzhen for her kindness, Li Sishi explained, “Besides, it’s never easy for the first person to try something new. Since we have already reached an agreement to cooperate, I don’t mind 'giving you a break’.”
"Alright, alright, I know you've been treating us well. Once I've secured my position in the formal wear category, I promise I won't treat you unfairly!" Li Wanzhen replied, moved.
After hanging up the phone, Li Sishi couldn't help but smile: Although Li Wanzhen was full of ambition to start a reform in her own business and create a new enterprise, she was still a "conscientious" young woman after all.
While collaborating with these young people involves more risk, it also makes it easier to reap relatively greater rewards.
While the Lo Kee Telecom series of advertisements is a good long-term resource, unfortunately, the main focus is still on the male lead, Ling Chen. In this advertisement, she is at most a bit more screen time than a decorative vase, and her commercial value is limited despite the increase.
Conversely, creating a fashion advertisement that is uniquely her own would allow her to make the most of all the resources and conditions she possesses.
Most importantly, she now has to balance her studies and artistic training, leaving her no time to film movies or TV shows, which puts her at a slight disadvantage in terms of exposure this year—but if she can use advertising to her advantage in the way "traffic stars" are created in later generations...
This will not only increase her exposure but also lay a solid foundation for her commercial value.
High commercial value naturally attracts the attention of major businesses—to put it bluntly, this rising star is following this path. With multiple returns on investment, he is definitely a favorite of investors and will never lack resources.
Just then, the staff member in charge of making the notification looked over at her and said, "Meili is about to go on stage."
"Okay, I'll be right there." Li Sishi stood up with a smile and walked quickly towards the large group of people dressed in red, amidst the staff's amazed gazes.
I don't know why, but Li Sishi is already recognized as "beautiful" in general, but tonight, she just seemed to be even more moving and compelling, and she had a unique beauty that was confident, flamboyant, and radiant.
Was it because of the beautiful dress she was wearing with such a unique design?
In this era of rising female empowerment, it's hard for staff who are completely unaware of the inside story to imagine the confident charm that a woman with promising career prospects can gradually exude.
It is a beauty that transcends external conditions; only a strong inner self and unwavering faith can bestow upon a person an incomparably unique and dazzling brilliance.
Therefore, what the staff member could currently perceive and feel was that the three-dimensional rose-patterned skirt seemed to come alive with Li Sishi's movements, swaying gently in the wind like a real flower, blooming with breathtaking beauty.
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