Chapter 705: Chapter 701: Brand Platform Event
Grandview International.
The Miu Miu store launch event was held as scheduled. It was an unprecedentedly grand affair; the brand’s newly announced spokesperson, brand ambassadors, friends of the brand, and official recommenders—a whole host of celebrities—would be appearing to promote the brand.
Lily Sterling was dressed in a new piece from the brand’s spring collection. The overall color palette was dominated by grays and browns, creating a chic and playful style that perfectly showcased the brand’s youthful feel.
「Eight hours earlier…」
“We’ll be following the event’s schedule, and the host will invite the guests onto the stage one by one. However, the order you come up in is not your final position. Each celebrity must find their designated spot and not stand in the wrong place. Otherwise, if the fans start fighting, it will reflect poorly on the artist and the brand.”
A staff member with a microphone explained the procedure to the assistants who had come to memorize the rundown for their respective celebrities.
Yuna was one of them.
Following the staff’s instructions, she found the position on stage; it was to the right of the C-spot.
The staff member continued, “All you need to remember is that the C-spot in the very center is for the brand spokesperson, Yuna Sutton. Then, for the spots on either side of the center, just remember who is on your left and who is on your right.”
“Yuna, long time no see!”
On the stage, Yuna Sutton’s assistant took the initiative to greet Yuna.
Since Lily Sterling had worked with Yuna Sutton before, their assistants were also familiar with each other.
Yuna raised a hand in greeting. “Bella, long time no see.”
“Congratulations to your Lily! Nominated for two awards and won both!”
“Thanks.”
Just then, a person walked up and stood to Yuna’s left. He was about the same age as Yuna, but he was a man.
He glanced at Yuna and asked in a cold tone, “Whose team are you with?”
His tone was incredibly rude, but Yuna still answered cooperatively, “Lily Sterling.”
The man gave no reaction, and it was unclear if he had even heard her.
Yuna didn’t bother with him any further.
The rundown wasn’t complicated. After following the staff’s guidance for three simple rehearsals, the group was done.
By evening, the celebrities began arriving at the venue to wait backstage. Yuna immediately gave Lily Sterling a careful and detailed account of the event’s procedure and her stage position.
“Yuna Sutton will be on your left. That means you’re in the spot to the right of the C-spot.”
Lily Sterling nodded in understanding, committing the rest of the procedures to memory.
A large crowd of fans had gathered at the venue, including members of Lily Sterling’s official fan club, organized by Jared Keaton.
In addition, various media outlets invited by the brand were present to generate buzz for the event.
“Who?”
In another part of the waiting area, the currently popular young actress Paige Parrish had her brows tightly furrowed and a cold expression on her face. “Lily Sterling?”
The assistant next to her was the same man who had appeared beside Yuna that morning.
“Yeah, I was speechless when I found out, too. I really don’t know what the brand was thinking with their arrangement.”
“Hah.” Paige Parrish let out a laugh born of anger. “I’m a brand ambassador too, and a senior in this industry, aren’t I? Why should I be upstaged by a newcomer who’s only been in the business for a little over a year?”
“And I just saw that the outfit the brand gave her is way better than mine!”
The male assistant pursed his lips. “Big brands are just that snobbish. Lily Sterling is definitely in the spotlight right now, what with just having won two major awards.”
‘Of course, Paige Parrish knew in her heart that brands favor whoever is popular, but she still felt it was unfair.’
However, she didn’t dare to offend the brand, so she didn’t dare to cause a scene.
In the entertainment circle, fighting over stage positions was not a respectable affair. She didn’t want to sacrifice a greater gain for a minor one and ruin the brand’s good impression of her.
But then, her male assistant suddenly leaned in and whispered, “When you get on stage, you just…”
“Huh? Will that work? Won’t it be too obvious?”
“It’ll be fine. She can’t exactly argue with you on stage, right? Besides, it’s a live broadcast…”
Paige Parrish thought for two seconds and was instantly persuaded. She nodded immediately. “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”
Meanwhile, Lily Sterling was in front of a mirror, doing a final check on her appearance.
“Yuna, these pants are a bit tight.” She adjusted her waistband and took a deep breath.
Yuna said in surprise, “They shouldn’t be. We gave the brand your usual size. Lily, you didn’t gain weight over the holidays, did you?”
“I lost it already. I weighed myself yesterday, and my weight was perfect.”
“The sizes for this collection just run small. Mine are a little tight, too,” Yuna Sutton said, suddenly appearing behind Lily Sterling.
Lily’s face lit up. “Yuna!”
“That outfit is gorgeous on you. It suits you so well.” Yuna Sutton looked over the new piece Lily Sterling was wearing and praised her sincerely. “When I heard the brand was signing a new brand ambassador and a friend of the brand this year, you were the first person who came to my mind. I can’t believe they actually found you. This brand’s vibe is a perfect match for you, Lily.”
Lily Sterling agreed. “My sister said the same thing. I really like this brand’s clothes myself. After we started working together, the brand sent me so many clothes and bags, and I love them all.”
“Is this your first time at a brand event like this?”
“Yeah, this is my only endorsement deal at the moment. The others are still in negotiation.”
“Then you must remember what I’m about to say.” Yuna Sutton stepped closer to share her experience. “You have to keep smiling the whole time. No matter what you’re doing or looking at, just keep smiling.”
“Like this? I understand, Yuna.”
Yuna Sutton smiled and asked, “You’re not even going to ask me why?”
Lily Sterling said, “I think I can guess what you want to remind me about. An event like this looks peaceful on the surface, but a lot of people are secretly competing with each other. It’s a live broadcast, so everyone’s movements and minute expressions will be magnified by the camera. If your facial control isn’t good enough, netizens will take things out of context.”
Yuna Sutton nodded. “You really are smart. I suffered from that kind of thing back in the day, but I had no one to remind me. I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did.”
‘Lily was deeply touched. She had seen the filthy side of this industry, but there were still so many wonderful people in it.’
The event began soon after. At the start, the host would invite guests on stage one by one to meet the fans and chat for a bit.
Lily Sterling’s appearance was scheduled relatively late, third to last. But when she stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted with an unprecedented roar of cheers and screams.
Over a hundred members of her fan club had shown up today!
“LILY STERLING! LILY STERLING!”
The fans were incredibly enthusiastic, holding up all sorts of posters and support slogans to cheer for Lily Sterling.
Lily Sterling smiled and waved back at her fans below the stage, no longer as flustered by such scenes as she used to be.
Her popularity had skyrocketed again after her double nominations and double wins at the Golden Magpie Awards. The turnout at this offline event was proof enough that Lily Sterling was now a top-tier celebrity who possessed both massive popularity and critical acclaim.
Such immense popularity inevitably attracted envy. On the monitor backstage, Paige Parrish, who had just come off stage not long ago, felt a sour feeling of jealousy as she watched.
Especially when she compared it to the reception she had received when she was on stage. Without comparison, there’s no suffering.