better bridal magazine

A business resource for the couture bridal industrySpring 2009

PHOTO REPORTFuture Styles – Current TrendsNew York Fashion Week

Accessory DesignerInterview: Maria Elena

Store in Focus:Bella Bianca

Unadvertised& ThrivingCan a brand survivewithout plasteringits name all overbridal publications?

CONFESSIONSof a Trunk Show Rep

FRANCHISINGThe Story of Bella Bridesmaids

Modern TrousseauMeet Callie Tein, designer for Modern Trousseau.

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Showing dates for the new Couture Fall/Winter 2009/2010:By invitation only. Press RSVP: 905-856-9115 or [email protected].

Showing for Buyers at the Essex House 2nd Floor Lincoln Suite,Saturday, April 4th , Sunday, April 5th & Monday, April 6th 9AM-6PM. By appointment.

Couture Inquiries please contact Veronica Di Santo at 905 856 9115 orvia email at [email protected] www.inesdisanto.com

INES DI SANTO LAUNCHES THE NEW “LUXE” COLLECTION!Please contact Marybeth Kaplan at 813 345 8743 or via email at [email protected]


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CONTENTSTA B L E O F S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Cover: Gown Courtesy of Nicole Fashion Group

NEWS AND REPORTS

News & Happenings

PHOTO REPORT

Future Styles – Current Trends

REGULARS

Accessory Designer Interview:Maria Elena

Store in Focus:Bella Bianca

FEATURES

Unadvertised & ThrivingWith the increasing cost of advertising in consumer magazines, our reporter talks with one company who had enough. Can a brand survive without plastering its name all over bridal publications?

Franchising – The Story of Bella BridesmaidsOur reporter interviews Bridget Brown and learns about her innovative business model for bringing bridesmaid stores to cities around the country.

Confessions of a Trunk Show RepresentativeGet the inside scoop from a trunk show rep and find out why they’re important to have

Modern TrousseauMeet Callie Tein, designer for Modern Trousseau. Our reporter explores how Callie began and where she draws her inspiration from.

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I D S

Showing dates for the new Couture Fall/Winter 2009/2010:By invitation only. Press RSVP: 905-856-9115 or [email protected].

Showing for Buyers at the Essex House 2nd Floor Lincoln Suite,Saturday, April 4th , Sunday, April 5th & Monday, April 6th 9AM-6PM. By appointment.

Couture Inquiries please contact Veronica Di Santo at 905 856 9115 orvia email at [email protected] www.inesdisanto.com

INES DI SANTO LAUNCHES THE NEW “LUXE” COLLECTION!Please contact Marybeth Kaplan at 813 345 8743 or via email at [email protected]


2 0 0 9 C o l l e c t i o n

BARCELONA

www.dArtBridal.com

Novia d,Art is Distributed in North Americaby Mercury Fashion Group 888-796-7679

www.MercuryFashionGroup.com


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2 0 0 9 C o l l e c t i o n

BARCELONA

www.dArtBridal.com

Novia d,Art is Distributed in North Americaby Mercury Fashion Group 888-796-7679



Ivory PublicationsEditor in Chief, Ana Szapiro

Editorial Assistant, Jane YoungNational Sales Manager, David Wolfe

Magazine Design, Clark FairfieldContributors, Kara Targonski, Yelena

Jenkins

Better Bridal offices:175 Huguenot Street. Suite 1204.

New Rochelle, NY 10801.

Subscription Information:To purchase a subscription to

Better Bridal Magazine,please visit us online at:

www.BetterBridalMag.com

Advertising Information:Better Bridal Magazine is

published four times a year.For advertising rates and mechanical

specifications, our Media Kitis available online at:

www.BetterBridalMag.com

Sales information:please contact David Wolfe,National Sales Manager at:

[email protected]

Chicago Bridal Market

New York Bridal Market

Sposatex (Nieuwegein, Netherlands)www.sposatex.com

Noviaespana (Barcelona , Spain)www.moda-barcelona.com

Puerta de Europa Bridal Exhibition (Madrid, Spain)www.pdenupcial.com

Sposa Italia (Milan, Italy)www.sposaitaliacollezioni.it

Paris Bridal Fair (Paris, France)www.parisbridalfair.com

Modatex (Essen, Germany)www.modatex.info

Harrogate Bridal Show (UK)www.ukbridalshow.co.uk

Chicago Bridal Market

New York Bridal Market

CALENDAR3/29/09–3/31/09

4/4/09 – 4/6/09

6/7/09 – 6/9/09

6/12/09 – 6/14/09

TBD

6/19/09 – 6/22/09

6/27/09 – 6/29/09

7/5/09 – 7/7/09

9/13/09 – 9/15/09

10/3/09 –10/6/09

10/71/09 –10/19/09


Contributors:

Kara Targonski is a freelance writer who lives in St. Louis. She studied writing at the University of Missouri. She writes blogs and wed content for various companies and corporate communications for Gap, Inc.

Yelena Jenkins is a freelance writer and Senior Editor for Hills & Lagoons, a luxury lifestyle magazine. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Communication and Business from the University of Southern California, and has been published in a

variety of print and online magazines on fashion and style related topics.

Dear Reader:

The slowing economy has made the beginning of 2009 a transformative year. Already several designers are about to debut new collections at lower price points with several prominent designers making announcements about their intention to do so as well.

In this issue, we chose to look closely at the most recent fashion week in New York to discover which style ideas will find their way to bridal. One shoulder straps, asymmetrical lines and shinier fabrics are appearing across all collections.

However, one need not look further than fashion week to understand how the economy has impacted all of fashion. Colors are more muted and designs are more understated with an edge of seriousness.

It will be fascinating to watch how these trends impact bridal designers as they prepare the 2010 collections.

Ana Szapiro – Editor in Chief

FROM EDITOR


NewsAND HAPPENINGS

Veil Trends Teamswith Lia TerniVeil Trends designer Jolene Picone has teamed with designer Lia Terni of Spain to create a unique and modern collection of veils and headbands. The unique headband designs will be available through Veil Trends.

Mercury Fashion Group Announces Representation of Nicole Mercury Fashion Group has announced it will begin representing the Nicole Fashion Group in the United States. Nicole, located in Italy, creates the Collette, Nicole and Alessandra R. lines. David Greenberg, Bridal Division President of Mercury, says: “We are excited to bring to the U.S. these remarkable designs. I’m convinced American brides will fall in love the excellent styling and fit.” Mercury currently represents Novia d,Art and Josechu Santana from Spain and Antonio Riva from Milan.

Modern Trousseau Opens NYC ShowroomModern Trousseau announces the opening of their new showroom in New York City. The showroom will be located at 552 7th Avenue.

Renella de Fina Launches Lower Priced CollectionRenella De Fina announces the creation of the new Matia Collection for Fall 2009. According to Ellen Wachs, national sales director, the new collection consists of more affordable gowns that feature the same quality and styling as the Renella De Fina Couture collection. The prices for the new collection range from $925-$1,250 wholesale.

Ines di Santo Debuts New CollectionInes Di Santo and daughter Veronica Di Santo announce their new collection called “Luxe” - a lower priced line for brides seeking quality designs at a more affordable price point.

Photo Courtesy of Veil Trends


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In an age where consumer bridal magazines are filled with more advertisements than editorial content, advertisers worry about getting lost in the noise. It is a concern that is especially relevant during a struggling economy, where every business spending decision needs to actively help the company stay competitive and profitable. The days of throwing money at a large advertising budget have waned, replaced by business owners who want to know the exact impact of each advertisement dollar on the company’s bottom line. While cutting back on advertising has been an unfortunate necessity for some, one company went cold turkey on their advertising - and thrived. But is it for everyone?

One Company’s Turning Point

Marisa Bridals is a nationally recognized line of upscale bridal gowns carried in over 300 stores across the country. This sustained success has been achieved without a single dollar spent on advertising - for the past few years, at least. Marisa Bridals was founded in 1987, and spent the next seventeen years eagerly advertising their collections. Lee Fein, Partner at Marisa, points out that during those years, unless you spent a good deal of money on advertising your brand was unknown. To keep up with the industry, Marisa went the traditional route of creating demand directly from brides, appealing to

Can Success Be Achieved Without Ad Dollars?by: Yelena Jenkins


them with around 30 pages of beautifully laid out advertisements each year - hardly a frugal undertaking.

Through diligent advertisements and by providing brides with fashion-forward high quality dresses, Marisa created a successful place for itself in the bridal industry. However, continued success seemed contingent on perpetual advertising. By the early 2000s, the bridal industry had ballooned to grand proportions and bridal lines were buying up more and more ad space to stand out in the increasingly competitive industry. Simple one-page ads were morphing into five-page designer spreads that overshadowed the other advertisements in the magazine. Feeling lost in the shuffle of all the bridal ads, Marisa made a bold decision: forgo all advertising.

Unadvertised & Thriving

By the time Marisa went stealth as an unadvertised bridal line, the company was well established. Top bridal stores and boutiques around the country carried Marisa gowns, and brides had worn Marisa designs down the aisle for nearly two decades. Store owners who carried the line knew the quality and look that Marisa stood for, and continued their support of the line when they stopped advertising. Consequently, Marisa was able to eliminate all of their spending on advertising while continuing to thrive as a business. What’s more, they have even expanded since they stopped advertising to consumers. If one boutique forgoes carrying the line, Fein will directly contact a nearby boutique to introduce them to the line. So far, the plan is working.

To others in the bridal industry, the ability to thrive without advertising may seem implausible. But, as Lee Fein explains, brides still know that they exist. “Today, every bridal store has a website. On their website they feature the designers that they carry, so in essence you are receiving national exposure without being in print media.” Fein felt that the online presence of the bridal stores eliminated the need to use traditional print advertising methods. He expands on this by saying, “There was no need to be in a local Philadelphia brides magazine when all of the bridal stores would already advertise for you that they carry your line.” Marisa has gone so far as to stop updating their own website,

reasoning that the bridal store websites will show the selection of gowns for them.

And once the brides are in the store, even those that have not heard of an unadvertised line are likely willing to try it on if it is in their price range, claims Fein. Unlike the ready to wear apparel industry, many brides are not familiar with the names of wedding designers and bridal lines until they begin their dress search. Amsale can seem just as unknown as Marisa to the bride walking into a bridal boutique, a fact that works in the favor of unadvertised lines.

The Allure to Bridal Boutiques

The under-the-radar nature of the unadvertised bridal lines eliminates price shopping among local boutiques and allows store owners to make more on these gowns than on well-known brands. Smart salespeople will show brides the unadvertised lines carried in the store since they are well aware of the potential for greater profit. The unadvertised lines can be exceptionally appealing to budget-conscious brides thanks to their competitive pricing. Marisa, for example, uses the exact same luxury fabrics from the same suppliers as top name brand bridal lines, yet is able to price their dresses at half the retail price. Brides are paying for the dress itself, not for the company’s advertising budget, states Fein.

Marisa dresses generally retail from $1,500 to $2,600, while the same quality name brand dresses range $2,500 to $5,000. For brides looking at quality and style, the allure of the price difference is undeniable. Fein is quick to reiterate the biggest benefit to boutiques: a healthy markup on the dresses. “When a girl goes into a bridal store with a particular budget and already has a look in mind, you can show the [unadvertised] dress and make a great markup. And you don’t have to worry about being price shopped.”

So, To Advertise or Not To Advertise?

Clearly Marisa has enjoyed success while eliminating the costs associated with advertising. Though this business model can be an ideal approach for some, it certainly is not for every bridal line. Notably, before they were unadvertised, Marisa built a solid brand and name recognition over the course

of seventeen years through advertising. Nearly two decades of diligent advertising irrefutably played an important role in the company’s nationwide presence in top bridal boutiques. Initially launching an unknown, unadvertised line without promotion has the potential to doom a line to obscurity in an already competitive industry.

So while the promise of continued success and cost savings sounds tempting, unadvertised bridal lines are best left to established companies. Getting in the door at top bridal boutiques, having brides call and ask if a store carries your brand, and free press mentions in magazines all come from consumer name brand recognition. These keys to success for a growing bridal line would be extremely difficult to achieve without an advertising budget. For bridal lines considering the unadvertised route, the best words of advice are to tread carefully. Consider all the angles, pros, cons and possibilities before abandoning a time-tested method for creating consumer attention, and realize that you will also be saying farewell to having a name brand. Name brand recognition is a small price to pay for some, but can be everything for others.

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Alessandra R is Distributed in North Americaby Mercury Fashion Group 888-796-7679



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Alessandra R is Distributed in North Americaby Mercury Fashion Group 888-796-7679



by: Yelena JenkinsThe Story of Bella Bridesmaids

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fter spending three grueling years earning her law degree, Bridget Brown moved to San Francisco in 1998 with no intention

based business model. Bella Bridesmaid began in a tiny, one room top floor Victorian building in San Francisco’s lively Marina district. Business grew slowly at first without the aid of a business loan. “Each time I sold a bridal party, it enabled me to buy more samples [and] invest in printed collateral,” Brown explained. Thus Bella Bridesmaid was born, one bridal party at a time.

The concept behind Bella Bridesmaid is to offer brides a modern, fresh approach to the traditional bridesmaid dress shopping experience. Brown noticed that when a bride went shopping for her wedding dress, the bridesmaids dresses were presented

as an afterthought. Stores that offered both wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses also tended to hustle both decisions into the same appointment, which was overwhelming for the bride. “I think it’s hard to as a bride to focus on finding her own dress and then throw the bridesmaids dress decision into the mix all at once,” she explains.

“Bella Bridesmaid [provided] a separate shopping occasion where the bride can focus her attention solely on her bridesmaids and allow herself to enjoy both experiences - wedding gown shopping and bridesmaid dress shopping - equally,” adds Bridget. The concept was a smart one, and brides

of practicing law. Instead, she founded Bella Bridesmaid, a bridesmaid dress business that has grown to include 29 locations across the country, with ten more opening in 2009. The secret to her growth has been creating the perfect recipe for repeatable success; the same recipe that made McDonald’s a worldwide phenomenon - the franchise.

Much like her unplanned foray into the bridal industry, Brown did not initially plan on creating a franchise-

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responded enthusiastically to the first San Francisco boutique. But brides were not the only group who loved Brown’s concept - top names in bridesmaid dress design also fell in love with the idea of a “bridesmaid only” boutique.

Brown initially sought out designers who were making their name as chic bridesmaid dress designers including Simple Silhouettes, Jenny Yoo and Charsa. The business grew by word of mouth, and today Bella Bridesmaid boasts a large selection of fashion-forward bridesmaid dress designers that stylish brides crave: Coren Moore, Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston, Two Birds, Lula Kate, Alix & Kelly, Vera Wang, Amsale, Queue, Tricia Fix and Kathlin Argiro, in addition to the aforementioned brands. Brown’s idea of the ‘bridesmaid only’ boutique was a success with bridesmaid lines and brides alike, allowing the business to expand. After opening up five more Bella Bridesmaid boutiques on her own, Brown soon came to realize that there were limitations involved with trying to be a hands-on owner operator of so many stores across a wide geographic span.

After much research and contemplation, Brown decided to franchise her business. Brown realized the importance of having her boutiques be owner-operated, and felt that this type of business works well due to the owner’s emotional and financial investment in the company. Keeping with the tradition of the original Bella Bridesmaid, Brown wanted the owners of all Bella Bridesmaid franchise stores to be in the store every day working with customers to identify the trends and desires unique to the store’s location. She hoped this would allow the individual stores to follow regional trends and adapt their sales and samples accordingly to best serve their customer base.

Setting up Bella Bridesmaid as a franchise business was a smart move, both for Bridget and for the women who opened subsequent franchised stores. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce back up Brown‘s decision, as 90% of franchise businesses are still operating after ten years whereas 82% of independent businesses fail. Brown

believes that success is achieved at much higher rates since franchisees can share in the secrets of her business model while avoiding the pitfalls she endured opening a small business. Creating a successful small business recipe is a long road filled with setbacks and failure, and franchisees benefit tremendously from the direction they receive with proven ways to thrive as a business.

For Bella Bridesmaid, the key to a well-run franchise business is keeping the stores consistent across the country. “Each franchisee receives an Operations Manual that outlines everything from how their store should look and feel to how we do day-to-day business,” says Brown. “The paint on our walls, our logo and our demeanor are consistent from coast to coast. You can walk into a Bella Bridesmaid in New York city and one in Greenville, South Carolina and know that you are in the same store.”

Bridget believes that keeping the look and feel of the Bella Bridesmaid stores consistent strengthens the brand. Individual franchises also benefit from Bella Bridesmaid’s established selection of designer dress lines that would be difficult to accumulate as a start up business. Franchisees can pick and choose from amongst the designer lsit to fill their stores with a selection of dresses that best suit the local demographic. Each store contributes to a yearly national advertising budget, which allows Bella Bridesmaid to take out full-page ads in mammoth bridal publications like InStyle Weddings.

Ms. Brown characterizes her experiencing turning Bella Bridesmaid into a successful franchise as a rewarding experience. She has loved every second of it, despite the big changes in her role that she found herself unprepared for. “I went from being on the floor, working with customers in my San Francisco boutique to becoming a teacher and mentor for franchisees across the country,” she explains. “Moving from selling dresses to selling franchises was certainly an adjustment.” Turning a single owner business into a large franchised company is not for everyone, nor is it for every business. As Brown can attest, franchising a business is a massive undertaking that involves

endless compliance issues and different regulations and reporting guidelines for every state, something that her law degree helped her tackle. Finding the right people to entrust with your store’s name and brand can also be a challenge, though Brown considers herself lucky to work with smart, energized and professional franchisees.

Even in an economy where small business are struggling to keep afloat, Bella Bridesmaid franchises are thriving. Another ten boutiques are slated to open this year, and Brown believes that the bridesmaid dress industry is fairly insulated from the economic storm. She has found that some brides are even forgoing the traditional bridesmaid gift in order to help pay for part or all of the dresses, which retail from $175 - $450. Brides are prioritizing their budget and making smarter choices, but are still spending money on necessary items like bridesmaid dresses. As the success of Bella Bridesmaid can attest, savvy brides will always find a way to include the important style elements they need to make their special day beautiful, weak economy or not.


rides Maid’s dresses and Mother of Bride gowns are integral design features in every wedding. Often relegated to secondary status, these gowns are anything but background fabric. Designers take greater risks and bolder strokes with every season that passes.

Drawing inspiration from the runways of New York, we witness which styles and silhouettes are on the horizon while examining the current design trends.


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FUTURE STYLES: New York Fashion Week

Images Courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Designer: Farah Angsana




Designer: Georges Chakra


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Designer: Erin Fetherston

Designer: Caroline Herrera




Designer: Ralph Lauren

Designer: J. Mendel




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Designer: Badgley Mischka


Designer: Lela Rose




23Designer: Venexiana



Designer: Tadashi Shoji


CURRENT TRENDS: Brides Maids

Designer: Kathlin Argiro

Designer: Charsa Maids


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Designer: Jenny Yoo

CURRENT TRENDS: Brides Maids


CURRENT TRENDS: Mother of the Occasion

Designer: Rose Taft

Designer: Gail Garrison


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I am designer’s representative.

It’s a funny job – I get to travel across the country, meet interesting people, work directly with brides and help stores make sales. I’ve been mooned more times than I can remember (seriously ladies – what’s the deal with no underwear?) and have endured too many mother/daughter battles than one should in a life time.

Yet I’m eyed with suspicion by some sales associates who are convinced that I’m trying to steal their job and more than a few just plain ignore me. Occasionally I’m made to feel that I’m in the way and not needed at all.

Well, I’m here to say, loud and clear, I am necessary. (And I’m not after anyone’s job)

As the modern world has put increasing pressure on a designer’s time, a

Trunk Shows: Are Designer Representatives Really Necessary?confessionrepresentative accompanies the collection on its tour in their stead.

Despite some store and boutique owners’ insistence they have plenty of experience and don’t need help, a representative can be an invaluable tool when it comes to selling wedding gowns.

Representatives also provide an excellent resource for designers as they prepare looks for the following season.

Intimate Product Knowledge: I know things that no one else does

Every bridal collection is different. Despite the obvious superficial similarities, each designer infuses their collection with a unique combination of silhouettes, fabrics, beadings and style. The range of options within a single collection can sometimes be staggering.


Trunk Shows: Are Designer Representatives Really Necessary?

During a trunk show, over 20 gowns may arrive at the store which the sales associates have never had experience selling before. It’s an impossible task to learn the nuances of each gown before a show.

Designer Reps are taught detailed information on each of the gowns in the lines. From the types of fabrics and beadings used, to which gown works the best on different body types. I spend weeks just learning the in-ands-outs of each dress in the collection.

A sale can hinge on whether the proper silhouette is matched against a particular body type. If a sales associate is unfamiliar with the dresses in the collection, the right dress may never be tried on! It’s not enough to identify the drop waist gowns versus the natural waist gowns, the subtleties of each

gown must be understood to help the bride find her perfect dress.

A designer rep has the benefit of living and breathing the collection for most of the year. Using our experience we can find the right gown quickly and help to close the sale.

Advocate of the Brand

A trunk show is a financial risk for the store. The boutique or salon must pay for the gowns to be shipped and typically cover the travel and accommodation for the rep. But the trunk show is an equal risk for the designer.

A designer earns their living on good products and a good reputation. A trunk show exposes a career’s worth of reputation to misrepresentation. The last thing any designer wants is a person not 100% familiar with the line making

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promises about potential changes or delivery dates.

I help to make sure that the right promises are made and kept – delivery dates, factory alterations and different colors.

First Hand Observations: I’m the eyes and ears of the designer

Trunks shows are fantastic opportunities to interact consumers, i.e. brides. Designers create, to some degree, in a vacuum. The designs are debuted at market and stores select their samples. A designer gets only a small picture of what the overall consumer trends are.

A trunk show provides the designer a unique opportunity through me, their representative, to listen to what the bride likes and what she dislikes. It’s unusual to get such honest insight directly from their consumer – a bride would never say the same things directly to a designer as she would to me. A representative becomes a third party that can listen, observer and take notes on what style elements are successful and which are not.

I’ve heard comments ranging from “This looks horrible” to “This dress makes me look so skinny” and “if only this dress didn’t have this feature” – I notice trends. If I see and hear the same comments over and over, I’ll let people know so next year’s collection will be even better.

When a store picks up a collection, they are entering into a long term business relationship with the designer. I’m there to make sure the product gets better every year.

In Tough Time Reps Are Even More Important: I make sales!

I can make sales. What better reason can you think of to have me in a down economy!

Brides are more frugal than every before. While the quantity of brides is about the same, the scrutiny with which they spend has never been greater. They’ll shop more, looking for the best deal. They may even be willing to sacrifice the perfect dress if the “pretty close” dress is significantly cheaper.

Now is not the time to take chances. Reps like me, with our intricate product and experience, can quickly augment a sales staff’s knowledge base and provide them the tools to make sales.

Nothing can be better for a store owner than finishing a trunk show with orders in hand.

I Travel Light

Lately a lot of stores are under financial pressure and are backing off of paying for reps to accompany the trunk show. It’s true that a store is usually responsible for airfare and accommodations and that those costs can be a burden. In my case, and probably in many others, designers are now capping the expenses of the flight at $200.

For a two night stay in a moderate hotel and flight capped at $200, an investment in a rep may cost no more than $400. The small investment in return for more sales and detailed product knowledge is well worth it! If I bring in just one more sale, I’ve paid for myself and more.

Plus, we’re fun.


LEAANNBELTER.COM • For more information: International Sales Manager, Karen Lackner, 440 915 3704 or [email protected]

Lea-Ann Belter Bridal offers affordable elegance

made in North America. Exclusive territories are

available. Lea-Ann is the proud recipient of the

2007 Designer of the Year award.

LBB120-BetterBridal_Gas:Layout 1 11/26/08 12:23 PM Page 1


DESIGNER: MARIA ELENA


n 1992, Maria Elena’s daughter, Marile, couldn’t find a headpiece she wanted to wear for her wedding. Unlike a typical mother of the bride, Maria Elena didn’t search every nearby bridal salon to find the perfect headpiece—she simply made her own. “She has always been very crafty,” says Maria Elena marketing and sales director Gisele Del Busto. Today, Maria Elena is known for her intricate filigree headpieces, many of which are dotted with seed pearls, encrusted with Swarovski crystals, and woven with silk ribbon. Maria Elena also produces jewelry, hairpieces, and handbags. But it was that very first ceramic headpiece, created for her daughter, which started the brand.

“We are like a family,” says Del Busto. And Maria Elena Headpieces is, in most ways, a family business. For many years, Marile acted as the

brand’s creative director, and Maria Elena’s sister heads up the quality control department. And of course, there is Maria Elena, who is the founder, namesake, and designer. Maria Elena creates every prototype for the new collection by hand, drawing on inspiration from antiques and vintage heirloom jewelry. Without an art background or formal training influencing her work, her process is very hands on. “She does not draw anything,” says Del Busto. “She has a room in the back where she has all of her filigree and she just starts playing with the ribbon, crystals, and filigrees until she creates something beautiful.”

Del Busto credits in-house production as a major factor of the brand’s success. “The only way to have total control of your product is to manufacture it in house.” After completing a design, Maria Elena passes the finished piece to her team of artisans who handle

the production work. Every piece in the collection is made by hand exactly to Maria Elena’s specifications. Once finished, each tiara, brooch, or handbag is carefully scrutinized to ensure every stone, prong, or bit of ribbon is flawless and stable before being shipped to stores. Quality is a key component of the brand strategy- and while manufacturing the headpieces and jewelry overseas could be a less expensive option, it is one the brand would not consider.

Del Busto spends most of her days concerned with the brand’s image and how well it is performing in the marketplace. With a presence in over seventy stores in the US and overseas, exclusivity has become an important part of the Maria Elena business strategy. “We are very particular about who carries our line,” says Del Busto. “The brides who buy our product are

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DESIGNER: MARIA ELENAby: Kara Targonski


the higher end brides, so we want Maria Elena in higher end stores.” Maria Elena is exclusive in Kleinfeld, and Del Busto is working on gaining exclusive relationships with other bridal salons as well. Del Busto plans to limit the number of stores which carry the line in any given area to ensure that Maria Elena continues to be a special and coveted line.

Trunk shows are another crucial focus area for the brand. “During season I am out of town all of the time,” says Del Busto. “I love doing the trunk shows. I get to deal with the bride. I get to see the reaction of the bride with our pieces. To me this is most important—being a part of that special moment.” Equally important is training the store staff on the collection. During each trunk show Del Busto likes to spend at least thirty minutes with the staff. “I sit down with them and show them how to sell the gowns with the headpieces. I show them how to wear the headpieces. We have a lot of ribbon headbands, so I give them a little training on hair, and show how

they are meant to be worn.” Del Busto can’t stress enough how important the trunks shows are. “It is important to get her collection out there and known,” says Del Busto.

Del Busto acknowledges that Maria Elena has made an impact in the marketplace since the very first collection, but no one at Maria Elena is willing to rest on previous successes. This year, Del Busto has a complete website overhaul planned. Recently, all of the packaging and marketing materials were updated. Changes include a pearlized white with silver color scheme and crisp square boxes

and business cards. For Del Busto, the update is about making the brand look modern and fresh, to represent Maria Elena in the marketplace as an elegant, exclusive brand. But all of it—the website, the new packaging, the trunk shows-- are simply what Del Busto describes as a ‘translation’ of Maria Elena’s inspiration and vision. Maria Elena’s vision began with one headpiece created for her daughter, but a strong commitment to quality, a dedication to the customer, and superior craftsmanship has turned Maria Elena into a successful bridal accessory business.

DESIGNER: MARIA ELENA


Times are undoubtedly

tough for small business owners,

even in the seemingly untouchable

bridal industry. Financially stable

couples are losing jobs, brides are

cutting their budgets, and large

dream weddings are being scaled

down to intimate family affairs.

During a time when most aspiring

entrepreneurs are putting their

business dreams on the backburner,

two sisters decided to weather the

storm and launch an upscale bridal

store called Bella Bianca. Bucking

industry trends, their budding

boutique just outside Chicago is

quietly thriving.

Sisters Melissa Russell and Natalie

Bauer always knew they would

end up working together. Growing

up in a family where their mother

and father ran small businesses,

they understood the hard work

and dedication required to run

a small business of their own.

Prior to opening Bella Bianca,

Melissa was a project manager

Store in Focus: BELLA BIANCA

35

by: Yelena Jenkins


for Jam Productions while Natalie

worked as a marketing manager

for Mesirow Financial. Though

their former career fields seem

to be a stretch from the wedding

industry, the sisters credit

their success to past jobs that

required a tremendous level of

customer service and relationship

management - cursory skills for

running a bridal boutique.

Natalie and Melissa’s foray into

the bridal industry began after their

own disappointing experiences

shopping for wedding gowns.

“While the gowns were beautiful,

we felt that the experience itself was

missing an element of excitement

that we assumed would accompany

finding a wedding gown,” Melissa

explained. The sales consultants

were not always friendly, and the

focus was more on making a quick

sale than on helping them find the

perfect wedding dress. In some

stores, they found the layout and

design uninviting, and felt that

digging through racks of tightly

packed dresses did not allow

brides to properly see the gowns.

Resourceful and determined to

create something better, Natalie

and Melissa crafted a business

plan in late 2007 for their own full-

service bridal boutique.

“It took us exactly one year

from when we decided to move

forward with the business to secure

financing, find a location and

complete the space,” Melissa said.

Financing came from a combination

of personal savings, family

investment, and a small business

loan. Their biggest challenge in

bringing their business dream to

reality was locating the ideal space

for their new boutique. “We were

looking for a free-standing building

that was large enough to hold the

concept we had for the store, and

was also in a central location,” she

explained. After a long search, the

sisters settled on a 6,000 square

foot space in Oakbrook Terrace,

an area easily accessible by major


37

highways that was close to the

suburbs and Chicago. Oakbrook

Terrace is also known for its high-

end retail stores, making it the

perfect spot for an upscale bridal

boutique to put down roots.

While launching their business,

Melisa and Natalie focused on

creating the elusive experience that

they felt they missed out on. “It was

very important to us that our store

be large, with all of the gowns

out on the sales floor for brides to

see. We chose high end materials

for every square inch to ensure

that brides felt that the interior of

the store matched the caliber of

gown that they were purchasing.”

Additionally, they made sure that

there was plenty of room for the

bridal entourage to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’

over the bride in her dress. “Our

favorite part of shopping for our

gowns was spending the day with

our mother, sisters and friends, so it

is very important to us that there is

ample space for each group to feel

at home,” Melissa added.

Though they spent readily to create

a high-end space with upscale

materials, they relied on their own

free marketing experience to get

the word out about Bella Bianca.

Natalie and Melissa issued a press

release to local newspapers, took

out ads in major industry websites

and local bridal magazines, and

hosted a grand opening party.

Local press, industry contacts and

brides were invited to the opening

event help create a buzz about

their boutique in the community.

But according to Melissa, the

most useful advertising tool so

far has been bridal website The

Knot, along with positive word of

mouth from satisfied brides sharing

their experience with friends.

Additionally, Bella Bianca’s user-

friendly website has helped bring in

a steady amount of business during

their first few months, allowing them

to meet financial projections.

“With no prior sales, we can’t

comment on how the economy

has impacted us at this point,”

says Melissa. But she will admit

that launching a business in a

bad economy certainly has an

advantage: “We will learn to

maintain our financial stability in [a

tough] environment, as opposed to

established stores [accustomed to

the days of big spending], that may

find it more difficult to cut back and

make adjustments.” Opening Bella

Bianca in a recession also impacted

the sisters’ selection of wedding

gown designers. Instead of carrying

only high-end, pricey labels, they

focused on choosing quality dress

designers that encompassed a wide

price range.

Ines Di Santo, Liancarlo, Renella De

Fina, San Patrick, Novia D’Art, and

Alfred Sung made the final edit,

with gowns retailing from $1,000

to $8,000. The variation in gown

prices gives budget-conscious

brides plenty of price flexibility,

while still offering a selection

of top-notch couture dresses for

those wish to spend more. Though

Bella Bianca is just establishing

itself, the owners’ sharp business

instincts and focus on providing

value to customers sets a promising

precedent for future success.


Ancillary collections can add additional profit and increased customer satisfaction for bridal designers. Callie Tein, owner of Modern Trousseau in Connecticut, knows just how successful (and profitable) an extra collection can be for a designer. In addition to her line of modern and elegant bridal gowns, she sells an extensive collection of what she refers to as “mother of the occasion dresses” or “MOTO” for short. This collection, designed exclusively for mothers, offers over a hundred mix and match pieces in the finest lined silks.

“I never thought I would end up in Bridal,” says Callie Tein owner of Modern Trousseau. “When I started it was very much the Princess Diana look--big hair, even bigger dresses, and lots of beadwork and lace.” But after completing her degree at the

Callie Tein

Mother of the OCCASIONby: Kara Targonski


Royal Melbourne Institute of Design, she began an apprenticeship for wedding gown designer Mariana Hardwick. Under Hardwick’s tutelage she discovered two things: her personal design aesthetic (which she describes as very classic and elegant) and a love for designing bridal. “Once you have designed wedding gowns there is no going back,” says Tein.

And Tein hasn’t looked back. Her original line only offered bridal gowns but by the end of 2005 she had added a small collection of mother of the bride dresses to accommodate her clients. “Mother’s would come in begging for a dress,” Tein says. “At the time, there was really nothing out there for them.” In response to her customer’s request Tein designed a very small collection of four mix and match pieces and debuted them during a trunk show. “I was so nervous,” Tein says. “I was waiting there and thinking ‘I only have four pieces. No one is coming.’” But her fears were unfounded. The collection was a hit.

Tein credits the early success of her ‘Mother of the Occasion’ collection to her willingness to listen to the feedback from her customers. Mothers and brides are two very different customers, and Tein never forgets this when she is designing the ancillary collection. “You are designing for a mature figure,” Tein says. “The mothers have issues with

their arms. They have tummies that they want to hide, so I design the collection to hide figure flaws.” Tein also designs the collection to be beautiful and elegant. “So many of the mothers want to fade into the background,” she says. “But I remind them to have fun with it. I tell them, ‘We don’t do frumpy, we do fabulous.”

Looking fabulous in a couture gown doesn’t come cheap, and cost is the primary reason why Tein refuses to branch out into apparel for the rest of the bridal party. Each dress in the ‘Mother of the Occasion’ collection is custom made in Connecticut by a team of ten seamstresses. “We do a lot of custom work, custom measurements. Each piece is cut by hand,” Tein says. While she doesn’t feel the average retail price point of her ‘Mother of the Occasion’ gowns ($800-$1200) would work for the bridesmaid dress market, Tein knows that the mothers don’t mind paying for a couture dress.

Tein doesn’t disclose exactly how profitable her “Mother of the Occasion” collection is, but she does mention that “both areas of the business (the bridal gowns and MOTO)are doing very well.” Well enough, that Modern Trousseau has been able to grow during an economic crisis. Tein has added extra staff, and is trying to expand the collection into more stores. She credits running a small, flexible business with Modern


Trousseau’s success during a difficult economy. “We can react quickly to various trends. We can keep our top end to fewer pieces and expand the lower end of the line. We can change quickly. We don’t have to seek approval from different levels of management. We don’t have to call China.” And with more and more customers seeking items ‘made in America’ Modern Trousseau is well positioned to win over more customers.

“I just want to dress the three most important women in the wedding-the bride, the mother of the bride, and the mother of the groom,” says Tein. Her business model is a smart one for other designers and bridal salon owners to follow, particularly in an economic climate where even the virtually recession proof wedding industry, has seen a little belt tightening. Why dress only one woman in the wedding when you can dress three?


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