Chapter 150: A High-End Experience
[Chapter 150: A High-End Experience]
"So here's the deal. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is set to happen at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. Specifically, it will be on the Ocean Lawn where Taylor, now should be called Ms. Rivers, just had her birthday party. Workers are already on-site, starting the stage setup," the guy explained. Technically, she wasn't married yet and should be called by her last name, but exceptions were common, like with Amber Heard, who took on her partner's last name despite not being married. Nowadays, California allowed such situations, meaning she was practically using another name as if married.
"This is my business card," he continued, handing over an elegant card. "While the guest list is mainly determined by the Marketing, PR, and Brand Creative departments, our Event Planning department also has recommendations. Mr. Rivers, I wonder if you might be interested?"
What a coincidence!
Ryan took the card and saw that it read "Manager, Event Planning."
Speaking of which, the Victoria's Secret Show was globally known as the top-tier fashion show, much like the lingerie commercials Ryan had seen on TV as a kid. Those so-called Victoria's Secret Angels were essentially just lingerie models.
You had to hand it to them for their marketing skills. Victoria's Secret started out as just a lingerie store. In the mid-'90s, they found that sales from their catalog advertising were unexpectedly high. The catalog was just a promotional flyer sold cheaply, but housewives buying them would call in to order the styles they liked.
At one point, that catalog income comprised a third of Victoria's Secret's revenue. However, it turned out the buyers weren't housewives but men; these guys weren't buying gifts for their wives but were using it for personal interests.
The marketing team's head had a lightbulb moment, deciding to capitalize on this "eyeball effect" to promote the brand, and that's how the fashion show was born.
Even though lingerie was just a few pieces of fabric, the prices weren't low, which meant profit margins were high. Being a publicly traded company with deep pockets, Victoria's Secret went all out, signing the most elite models in the fashion industry, which catapulted the brand to fame and made it the most recognized lingerie brand in America and even worldwide within a couple of years.
In many ways, Victoria's Secret and its models were mutually beneficial. The brand brought top models, usually only seen in the major fashion weeks, into public consciousness, and thanks to these "Angels," Victoria's Secret's annual revenue and market share kept climbing.
In recent years, Victoria's Secret continued with this business model, soaring to success. Models aspired to strut on the Victoria's Secret runway as a badge of honor since the contracts paid handsomely. However, the internal culture started to breed corruption, with behind-the-scenes misconduct becoming increasingly common.
For now, they managed to keep things under wraps, with less flair than the past. As of now, Victoria's Secret still appeared as a glamorous brand, now inviting big-name stars to perform. They called it "broadening entertainment," and last year, the Black Eyed Peas' lead did the opening act. In years to come, many top stars, including Taylor, would perform live as well, making Ryan's invitation this year hardly a surprise.
"But I'm really busy, you know," Ryan feigned frustration.
From Ryan's memory, only the most elite commercial models became signed "Angels," handpicked by Victoria's Secret.
Ryan didn't mind getting a taste of what it felt like with one of those elite models. "We invited Arthur to open the show, and if you agree to join us, we'll consider putting you in the closing position," the man, Norton, stated.
Just then, Tyran returned. Ryan thought for a moment and said, "Leave Fizz's number with this gentleman. She will be responsible for contacting Victoria's Secret."
Technically, this was Marvin's job since he was responsible for Ryan's performance negotiations. But Ryan felt that Victoria's Secret has closer ties with the modeling industry, so he decided to let her take charge.
...
After saying goodbye to Norton, Ryan and Tyran walked out to find Teresa waiting at the entrance. She had come to Florida just to see Ryan's record company and decided to swing by Taylor's birthday party on the way.
With nothing else going on, Ryan returned to the record company and immediately logged into the fan forum.
Just as he expected, the forum buzzed with chatter about his engagement since the news broke.
Many expressed that they shed tears while others "believed in love again." In fact, everyone knows that this kind of love at a young age comes quickly and disappears quickly. There are almost no couples who can really make it to the end.
Seeing it this way made Ryan and Taylor's relationship feel even more special.
Some even declared that out of all the couples they followed, Ryan was the most decisive and had the quickest resolution, a real-life fairy tale.
Not just in the forum, but many bystanders were touched by Ryan, including men in their thirties and forties. They realized all too well the fleeting nature of celebrity relationships, highlighting Ryan's uniqueness even more.
Many fans of another famous couple kept commenting on the two stars' social media accounts, asking when they'd also share their happy ending.
Robert was trying to keep a level head by explaining to the public that it wasn't the right time, while Kristen blocked several naysayers.
Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at this; while couples routinely came and went, none found a love quite like his and Taylor's.
Moreover, this "couple" race would be marked by his proposal, leading everyone else who entered this race to face the inevitable question: could they do what RT did?
More dramatically, this race could potentially fizzle out, as the public's expectations had surpassed what "actors" could realistically portray.
With this perfect fairytale fueling their collaboration, their single I Need Your Love easily climbed the charts.
Even though Beyonce and Jay-Z had also made headlines, the birth of their child paled compared to the RT fantasy.
There was more good news on the way for Ryan.
...
"Sir, the renovations on the VIP room are nearing completion. We'll welcome our first guests tonight!"
"Are the drinks ready?" Ryan asked.
Sean nodded, "We have everything available on the market."
Previously, the Bad Room attracted a mixed crowd, but the VIP room would be exclusive to the rich.
"Should we set a minimum charge?" Sean inquired.
"Absolutely. The minimum for the second-floor booths will be $5,000, the third floor $10,000, and the top tier super VIP booth... $50,000," Ryan decided.
"Uh, Ryan, I think we should take it slow. We should focus on keeping the VIP occupancy high before worrying about guest spending," Sean chuckled nervously.
"Is that too much?" Ryan retorted.
"Honestly... it is a bit high; you know what I mean?" Sean hinted.
"What if I introduce a brand-new electronic track tonight?" Ryan proposed, thinking of a new song he created during a recent workout, planning to use it to highlight the VIP launch.
"Perfect! That's an excellent idea!" Sean replied excitedly.
Ryan invited Tyran in and synced the announcement on his and Bad Room's social accounts.
...
As night fell, the excitement outside the Bad Room ramped up.
"Gentlemen, we've arrived. It's pretty congested, so you might want to get out now," the driver said, peering out.
Two young men, dressed in long black coats and scarves, got out of the car, their hair meticulously styled.
Listening to the honks around them, they simultaneously furrowed their brows.
"Are we in the right place? There's not even a valet," one noted.
"This isn't the Peninsula Hotel; it's less formal. The location is spot on," the other said, observing the crowded entrance and twisted line for entry, realizing the driver hadn't made a mistake.
The two men resembled each other closely, seemingly brothers.
Cautiously, they approached the entrance, sidestepping the queue to head to the side door.
"I'd like to ask, where is the VIP entrance?" the older one inquired of the guard.
Seeing the guard's puzzled expression, the younger one added, "We reserved a top-level booth under the name Kushner Brothers."
The guard nodded, turned to check with Berwick, and returned shortly. "Sorry, there's no VIP entrance available at the moment."
He pointed in the distance, clearly meaning they should go wait in the line at the back.
*****
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