Insane Demand For Kate Middleton's Engagement Dress Almost Destroyed The Brand

Kate Middleton wore a royal blue Issa dress when she and Prince William announced their engagement.

Soon after her appearance, the dress sold out and requests began flooding in.

But instead of being good for the brand, insane demand for the dress almost destroyed it, Issa chairwoman Camilla Al Fayed told Vogue UK.

"It absolutely sky-rocketed the brand on a global scale, but it was too much," Al Fayed told the magazine. "Demand was so huge the business couldn't cope. If Kate wears a Zara dress, these huge companies have the backing to follow through. Issa was basically run by interns, students and Daniella [Helayel, the label's founder and designer]. There was no business model."

But the company made it over the bump and just opened its first store in Japan.

Middleton's influence on the fashion world is a polarizing topic. While some designers say that her garments result in crazy sales increases, others claim that stars like Kim Kardashian are more influential.