Repetto x Disney: a fairy tale match?As the name is shorthand for the perfect shoe, it seemed a give

Repetto x Disney: a fairy tale match?

As the name is shorthand for the perfect shoe, it seemed a given that Disney would partner with a shoemaker for a tie-in collection when launching itslive-actionCinderellamovie.

I expected a collaboration with an established brand, Christian Louboutin or Manolo Blahnik perhaps. Or a partnership with a more daring, younger brand, maybe Nicholas Kirkwood or Charlotte Olympia: designers who would have no qualms creating an actual glass slipper.

So I was rather surprised to receive an email from historied French ballet shoemaker Repetto earlier this week, announcing that the Cinderella Dream Ball capsule collection was now in store.

From emails to social media, Repetto bears the brunt of the marketing around the collaboration, which looks more like a license deal than an equal partnership. It seems to have the rights to a limited number of assets, with three photos of Lily James (Cinderella) in her striking blue gown by costume designer Sandy Powell used across most of the material (photo 1).

A significant part of the campaign focuses on user-generated content. Across all its English and French-speaking owned digital channels, Repetto is asking customers and subscribers to go to a store and re-enact the “trying the glass slipper scene”, then submit pictures to win a pair of ballerina flats, a DVD of the animated film and cinema tickets. A cute, if expectable, idea.

In store, customers can try identical Blue Celeste goatskin ballet flats for women and girls, made with the Repetto stitch and return technique. The capsule collection also includes a take on the brand’s Petite Glissade pouch bag. A short black taffetas skirt and a blue tulle rehearsal skirt complete the offering (photos 4 & 6).

And that’s probably the strength of Repetto. Rather than Disney licensing to one label for shoes and another for ready-to-wear, the French house offered both, as it has recently expanded its range beyond pure ballet clothes.

Why Repetto?

This complementarity might be why Disney decided not to renew its 2012 partnership with Louboutin, despite the higher level of brand recognition. To celebrate the release of the animated Cinderella Blu-Ray Diamond Edition, the luxury shoemaker created 20 samples of a limited-edition slipper, embellished with crystal butterflies (photo 8 & 9).

Price might be another reason to choose Repetto. Starting at £105 for the rehearsal skirt and reaching £315 for the women’s flats and the pouch, the price tags are higher than the merchandising available at the Disney store, but are significantly cheaper than products made in collaboration with haute shoemakers.

Besides expanding into ready-to-wear, Repetto launched its first fragrance in 2013, a floral-accented scent which outdid licensee Inter Parfums’ predictions by generating close to €8 million in revenue in its first year. It was the second best-selling new scent in France after Si, from established brand Giorgio Armani. Its popularity is sustained too, with a 30% increase in 2014. Successful launch after successful launch gave Repetto the credentials to be a reliable partner for Disney.

The collaboration also makes sense from a storytelling perspective. Cinderella isn’t just associated with the glass slipper; it is synonymous with the ball (at least in the Perrault, Grimm and Disney versions). When it comes to dancing, you can’t go wrong with a brand set up by Rose Repetto, mother of ballet dancer, choreographer and company director Roland Petit, with a flagship store right by Paris’ Opéra Garnier and to this day provider of most danseursanddanseuses étoiles’ pointes and soft ballet shoes. Choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev or Marius Petipa, on Prokofiev’s partition, Cendrillon also happens to be the type of famous and popular ballet the public associates Repetto with.

The timing is perfect for the French house, set to open its first New York flagship later this year. Associating its name with a high-profile American brand like Disney - and on one of the most awaited film releases of the year - will considerably increase its visibility in the US market.