How Falabella made Miss Chile's pearl dream come true
What: Falabella transforms online shopping mishap into viral marketing success by creating bespoke pearl dress for Miss Chile at Viña 2025 Festival.
Why it is important: This case demonstrates how retailers can leverage social media challenges into brand-building opportunities, while showcasing their ability to deliver premium, customised solutions in response to customer feedback.
Falabella has masterfully transformed a potential customer service challenge into a remarkable brand success story at the Viña 2025 Festival. After Miss Chile Emilia Dides shared her humorous experience of receiving a dress with printed pearls instead of real ones, the retailer responded by creating an exquisite bespoke gown. The dress, featuring 38,000 individually hand-sewn pearls of varying sizes, was meticulously crafted over 21 days by artisan Angélica Dinen under the direction of renowned designer Víctor McQueen. The final creation, weighing 22 kilos, showcased exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. The gown's unveiling at the festival's opening night marked the perfect conclusion to a story that began on social media, demonstrating Falabella's commitment to customer satisfaction and quality. This initiative reinforces the company's position as a leader in fashion retail, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern marketing approaches to create a viral moment that resonated with audiences across platforms.
IADS Notes: The pearl dress story exemplifies Falabella's successful transformation in retail experience, following their record EUR 486 million profit announcement in early 2025 . This creative response to a viral shopping moment aligns with their customer-centric strategy that has driven significant market growth since autumn 2024 . The initiative's social media success builds upon Falabella's digital engagement programmes, particularly their Verde Talks series launched last September and their innovative Feria Trueque clothing exchange programme . The meticulous craftsmanship of the pearl dress, with its 38,000 hand-sewn pearls, reflects the company's elevated approach to retail experiences, as demonstrated by their Active Woman concept unveiled in October . This event perfectly illustrates CEO Alejandro González's November 2024 vision of seamlessly blending physical and digital retail experiences, transforming a potential service issue into a powerful brand moment.
