Unleashing the King of Bling: Prom Trends, Marketing Strategies, and More with Dan Fisher
Prom questions have been pouring in from Flower Clique members — especially with prom landing on Mother's Day weekend for many shops this year. So Vonda and Lori went straight to the source: Dan Fisher, president and owner of Fitz Designs, known around the industry (and on the sign on his office door) as the King of Bling. What follows is part trend report, part masterclass in selling prom.
From one bracelet to 550 products
Fitz Designs began with a wedding designer frustrated that the only corsage option was an elastic band, so she created one bracelet style in four colors. Dan came aboard to run sales, bought the company in 2007 — originally so his college-age daughters would have a job shipping orders — and built the line from roughly 20 products to about 550 active today, with over a thousand retired along the way. During COVID's supply chain chaos, florists started calling Dan to track down products nobody could find, and he became the industry's solution man: Gerber straws, stem wrap, waterproof tape, the original-formula Kling, and pin frogs all found their way back to market through Fitz. Now innovators pitch him ideas through his Collaborator Corner program.
What's trending for prom this year
How does Dan forecast trends? Mostly listening, looking, and gut — he watches prom dress colors, studies his own numbers season over season, and pays attention to the challenges florists describe (labor being the biggest). The headlines for this season:
Slap bracelets are still the fastest-growing category by far. The shift started two years ago, and Fitz has doubled purchases twice to keep up. New shiny "Shimmer" slaps are moving in tonnage, with nine new colors and a new "Prism" style coming.
The sparkle is back. COVID pushed everything toward simple-but-elegant — one beaded bracelet style (the Avery) where shops once stocked six, two-row rhinestones instead of four-row. Now rhinestone sprays, carried in 23 colors, are one of the fastest-growing categories, and the four-row rhinestone bracelet is strong again.
Rings are huge — perfect as a third piece, beloved by girls, ideal for eighth-grade dances where wrist corsages feel cumbersome, and adorable for flower girls. A new ring design is weeks away.
Body flowers are the hottest category: pocket squares with the mechanic and instructions built in, pocket pouches that hold flowers inside (over 7,000 packages sold since January between the two), full flower-covered lapel templates with magnets included, and body-safe tape for backless-gown designs that run flowers down the wearer's back.
The corsage bar, the 15% rule, and the three-item sale
Dan's marketing advice for shops is refreshingly concrete. First, work with every prom customer one-on-one — for many teens this is their first time ever working with a florist, and it's your chance to teach them what a florist can do that the supermarket can't.
Second, the corsage bar is still the number one tip. Put all your inventory out front — bracelets, ribbon, bling — and add little signs to each category: "pick one here," "pick two here," "pick three here." The worst that can happen is they don't.
Third, the rule Dan says grows prom sales faster than anything else: corsages start at 15% of the price of the dress. The dress tells you whether the customer has access to money — the fancier the dress, the more they want something custom and the less budget-constrained they are. An inexpensive dress tells you not to spend the appointment upselling.
Finally, set expectations at three items: "Today we're going to order your corsage, his boutonniere, and a special floral piece just for you" — a hair piece, a floral purse, a floral accent. The worst case is she says "just two." The best case dramatically increases the sale and shows off what only you can make.
Beyond prom: glue, crystals, and a forklift test
Dan also cleared the air on Fitz's floral adhesive. The early clear formula (blue box) drew complaints for slow drying, but it was reformulated during COVID — look for the yellow box, which Fitz swapped into every wholesaler in the country. It dries clear and holds hard enough that an upcoming video shows a corsage run over by a forklift, still intact. Also launching: bouquet holders made from natural crystals like amethyst, assembled with wire, a foam topper, Kling, and adhesive.
Explore the online catalog — nearly every page has videos, and Dan shares an easy code: if the presenter is sitting down, it's Dan with marketing tips; standing up, it's Tom Bowling with design demonstrations. You can also follow Fitz on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for the newsletter that reaches 450 wholesalers and 16,000 retailers.
Key takeaways
- Slap bracelets, rhinestone sprays, rings, and body flowers are this season's prom powerhouses.
- Set up a corsage bar with "pick one / pick two" signs so customers build their own upsell.
- Price by the dress: corsages start at 15% of the dress price.
- Open every prom appointment by framing a three-item order — corsage, boutonniere, and a custom accent piece.
- Use the Fitz catalog videos to train both your sales team (Dan's marketing clips) and your designers (Tom Bowling's design clips).