What to say when someone compares your $950 dress to a Zara lookalike — and how to shift the perception instantly

You pour so much into your work ...  late nights, strained eyes, tired hands and a passionate heart.

So when you're showcasing your collection at a trade show or pop-up shop and someone holds up your $950 dress and says, “This is just like something I saw in Zara”
it stings.

Not because they’re trying to be rude.
But because they just don’t see what you see.

This is avoidable.  But if no one ever taught you how to demonstrate your work in a way that communicates its value ...  the intention, the feeling, the standard ...  how could your potential customers ever understand the difference between fast fashion and what you’re doing?

This isn’t about defending your price.  It’s about shifting the perception of your potential customers.

Because your customer isn’t just buying a dress.
She’s buying a feeling.
A standard.
A story she wants to wear.

And when you speak to that — the essence, the craftsmanship, the energy behind it …  the Zara comparison quietly falls away.  Because nothing fast can match the power of something considered.

What happens when you don’t shift perception?

You end up over-explaining.
You drop your prices to make the sale.
You get asked questions like,

“Why is this so expensive?”
“Do you offer Klarna?”
“Do you have anything like this… but cheaper?” 

You attract the wrong audience … or worse, no audience.
Your talent gets mistaken for a “nice hobby.”
Your work starts to feel invisible… even though it’s anything but.

And slowly, the passion gets drained out of you.
The sales don’t come.
The confidence fades.
And eventually, the dream dies and you're back in a soul-sapping 9 to 5, wondering if it was ever possible to begin with.

But when you do shift perception?

You stop sounding like a shop and start being seen as a designer with vision.
Your brand stands apart.  Not just in style, but in substance.
You attract customers who feel proud to wear your work …
not just because it’s beautiful but because of what it represents.

Your pricing feels justified without needing to explain.
Your pieces get talked about in the right rooms with buyers, editors, and clients who value artistry over algorithms.

You go from being overlooked… to unforgettable.

That’s what the most revered brands in fashion do — and they do it without selling.

Designers like Grace Wales Bonner and The Row don’t spend time explaining fabric weights, sustainable materials or novel fastenings.
They communicate something far more powerful.

✨ Grace Wales Bonner released her F/W ’23 Twilight Reverie collection with a poetic artful film, featuring intelligent storytelling and soulful piano.  It wasn’t just about the cut, the materials or even the design.   It was about evoking a feeling rooted in heritage, art and atmosphere. 

Instead of explaining features, she invited her audience to feel the world behind the clothes: slow, considered, culturally rich.

She didn’t say: “This is a beautifully tailored jacket.”
She invited her audience into a mood. A heritage. A world.
The value became felt, not justified.

✨ The Row quietly positions itself as the antithesis to trend with campaigns that are devoid of logos or captions.
Every stitch is about presence. Every photo, a study in restraint.
They don't say: “This coat is worth £2,000 because it's double-faced cashmere.”
Instead they show you how it moves and how it holds space.
That’s what their customer buys into.

These brands don't explain.

They evoke.

They shape identity and that’s what customers are drawn to.

Perception is everything in fashion.
You can have the most exquisite product  but if people don’t perceive it as special, desirable, or different… it might as well be invisible.

So how do you do that, without a celebrity stylist or a Vogue stylist in your corner?

That’s exactly what I’ll show you in a new framework I’ve created for designers like you to shift the Perception of Your Designs.

It’s called The PERCEIVE Method™ and it’s specifically designed to help you:

✔ Communicate the deeper value behind your work
✔ Speak to high-level buyers and customers who get it
✔ Shift how people see your brand — before the Zara comparison is even made

The method is clear, practical, and immediately actionable.

Use it when someone compares your work to Zara.
Use it in your captions, your emails, your lookbook, and your showroom conversations.
This is how you speak the value of what you've created.

It’s one of the frameworks inside my programme Fashion Launch Catalyst…
and since it is one of my favourites, for a limited time only, I created a free PDF guide to walk you through the full method with examples you can use or adapt for your brand.

👉 Click here to get the free PERCEIVE Method™ now.
(and start shifting how the world sees your designs) 

We go much deeper into these concepts  inside my programme, Fashion Launch Catalyst  because shifting perception is what turns heads, builds trust, and elevates your brand above the noise. This is how you stop the Zara comparisons and start owning your space as a brand of significance. 

We go much deeper into these concepts inside Fashion Launch Catalyst because shifting perception is what turns heads, builds trust, and elevates your brand beyond the noise.

This is how you stop the fast fashion comparisons.
And start owning your place as a brand of significance.

So the real question is…

Do you want to keep justifying your prices?
Or do you want to start attracting customers who don’t even question them?

✨ Click here to get the free PERCEIVE Method™ and learn how to communicate the value of your work clearly, confidently, and without compromise.