Alysse Dalessandro of Wicker Park was clueless that her candle featuring Brittany Murphy in “Clueless” would go viral and sell so well.
Last month, Dalessandro premiered her ’90s jewelry-vintage collection she co-created with Chicagoan Matt Kasin at a party in Bucktown.
On a whim, for the collection inspired by “Clueless,” “Spice World” and “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” Dalessandro included a religious candle decorated with a picture of Murphy and her iconic insult to Alicia Silverstone’s character in “Clueless”: “You’re a Virgin who can’t drive.”
Dalessandro, 24, said she only brought a few candles to the party, which sold quickly. Since then, she and her partner have sold 65 candles as photos of the candle have been reblogged multiple times on Tumblr and featured in trend ‘zines Refinery 29 and Nylon mag.
“It’s pretty crazy,” said Dalessandro, a former RedEye intern. “We can keep up with [the demand] but it’s definitely more than we anticipated.”
The candle retails for $12 and is available at Dalessandro’s store, etsy.com/shop/themall. Dalessandro said she and her partner are working on a follow-up candle. They plan to introduce a new collection in the fall.
tswartz@tribune.com | @tracyswartz
