Some of the past year’s buzziest new brands—Premme, Eggie, Something Navy—share a surprising common denominator: They’re the design off-shoots of the Internet’s favorite fashion bloggers. And like Nicolette Mason, Gabi Gregg, Jenn Imm, and Arielle Charnas, Julia Engel of Gal Meets Glam is joining the ranks of influencers-turned-designers, with the launch of her debut fashion line, appropriately called Gal Meets Glam Collection.
Engel has earned a devout online following that’s 1.1 million strong on Instagram alone since starting her blog in 2011. Readers flock to her site for outfit tips and shopping suggestions, as well as visuals showcasing her feminine, playful approach to fashion. This lead her to consider starting her own clothing line with the same aesthetic. “I quickly realized within a couple years that the reason why I was gaining an audience and a following was because people were coming to me for a specific reason,” Engel tells Glamour, “and that was because my style and Gal Meets Glam was very specific.”
Dresses are her favored category, so it made for a natural jumping-off point when planning her first-ever fashion design venture. “When I share a dress from another brand, [my readers] buy it and they love it,” she adds. “So I think it’s the only next step to create something that’s specific to us and provide that for them.”
Gal Meets Glam Collection launches with 44 dresses online, on its own e-commerce and at Nordstrom, and will add new styles in monthly drops. For April, the vibe is floral, pastel, and spring-wedding appropriate. It’s also widely accessible: Every dress is less than $200, and is available in sizes 00 to 20.
“Oftentimes, you’ll see more of a speciality dress that has fun elements, but it’s not something that you’re constantly going to be reaching for,” Engel says. “We really focused on designing dresses for the everyday woman who is busy and on-the-go, and just wants something put-together in one item that she can reach for.”
She first hatched the idea to create her own line focused on classic dresses that she felt she couldn’t find on the market at the under-$200 price point in 2014. Getting manufacturers and retailers on board with her vision, however, took some convincing. “There were many times where they wouldn’t outright say, but they would definitely imply that I didn’t have as much experience,” Engel remembers, despite having the numbers—both in followers and in a robust affiliate program—to back it up. But they have to understand that this is coming from such a different perspective than what they’re used to. It’s kind of like the old-school way of thinking.”
That didn’t deter Engel, though. “Because of the audience that I had built, it validated the idea that there are other people that want a product like this,” she says. “There’s all of these women that follow me, and I know that they’re looking for something like this too.”
In the end, sticking to her vision won out for one retailer: Nordstrom, which will carry Gal Meets Glam collection both online and in select stores. Engel’s favorite dress from the inaugural collection is actually an exclusive to the retailer—a fit-and-flare crepe dress with a full skirt. “If I could only wear one item for the rest of my life, this would be it,” she says. “That was one piece that Nordstrom saw and absolutely loved and ended up getting multiple colors in because they were like, this is such a staple for any woman’s wardrobe.”
If you share Engel’s love of dresses, you know what to do: Get started on your spring dress collection with the first drop in the Gal Meets Glam Collection, below.
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