FLORAVERE announces the opening of the world’s first bridal concept store; an innovative retail experience for today’s modern bride that reimagines shopping for one of the world’s oldest traditions. Floravere continues to break the bridal mold with the announcement of its first permanent physical location at 18 Jay Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City, opening today.
The shop sets a new precedent for bridal retail, moving away from the traditional and into the experiential, with a shopping experience reimagined for how the millennial woman shops. Investor and professional tennis player, Serena Williams says, “The experience of finding my wedding dress was incredibly memorable and meaningful to me so I’m thrilled to support Floravere’s mission to make the luxury bridal industry inclusive and accessible to more women than ever before.”
Floravere’s collection of gowns and separates will anchor the space and brides can set up private appointments with a stylist on the brand’s website, through Instagram direct message, and via text. The key element of Floravere’s retail approach is rooted in personalization at every touchpoint of the customer experience. The bride’s favorite styles she’s pre-selected online will be waiting for her in a private suite when she arrives at the store, along with personalized details such as a digital wedding moodboard and custom playlist, all facilitated through Floravere’s digital questionnaire – a crucial step in building this intimate relationship with each of their brides. Co-founder of Floravere, Denise Jin says, “With our New York Flagship, we’ve created a retail experience that reflects how our bride actually shops: from IG to IRL. Every detail of the design – from the private bridal styling closet to the in-store retail technology – is guided by an understanding that today’s millennial woman has done most of her research on us before she even steps through our doors. This offers us an unparalleled opportunity to craft a truly bespoke and memorable retail experience for each and every bride based on the rich data we have on her before she walks in the door.”
Brides can also discover all her other wedding related needs – looks and accessories for her engagement party, bachelorette, honeymoon, gifts for the bridal party, and beyond. The space is the first to offer a curated showroom for all the products a bride may need in her journey, including swimwear from Solid & Striped, travel essentials from Cuyana, jewelry and headpieces from Jennifer Behr, fine jewelry from J. Hannah and Ceremony, lingerie from Journelle, conscious beauty from Kosas, fragrance from Dedcool, and home decor from The Land of Belle.
Floravere was founded with a mission to upend the legacy bridal industry and give a new breed of women access to luxury, style, and personalization, otherwise unattainable. Co-founder, Molly Kang says, “Until now, the bridal industry has been tethered by traditional, dated ideas of the ‘blushing bride’ marrying her Prince Charming. With Floravere, we’re creating a brand and a space that speaks to our core belief that there is no ‘right’ way to be a bride. More than ever, she feels empowered to break the rules and do things her way when it comes to her wedding – from what she wears to how she approaches the entire day. And we felt that there wasn’t a brand that spoke to this very modern sensibility. Everything we do and all our products are designed to reimagine what it means to be a bride today.”
The design team used a contemporary sensibility as a starting point for the boutique design, crafting an experience for today’s bridal customers: independent, self-assured women who interact with brands online but also crave intimate, personalized experiences. Upon entering the space, the customer walks into the gallery that is furnished and styled to have a residential sensibility, with a wet bar, rounded velvet club chairs, a custom lacquered sculptural coffee table by Eny Lee Parker, vintage rugs from 1stdibs, a Mid-century daybed and a white sculptural side table. The color scheme of the space is calm and serene, making use of soft blues, whites, camels, and pops of color throughout, accented with weekly floral installations and made to order arrangements by Brooklyn based Extrafloral.
In between the individual bridal suites and the gallery is the walk-in bridal closet conceived as the ultimate “dream closet.” The private suites have a dressing room and separate seating area for the bride’s friends and family, defined by a custom curved sofa and glass cocktail tables. Iconic Noguchi Akari lights hang overhead to provide soft, flattering light, while vintage rugs sit below to provide the space with a sense of time-warn authenticity. This in-suite sitting area is a unique strategy for a bridal boutique, where most have one large seating area. Floravere’s goal is to make the experience as intimate, personal, and relaxed as possible.
SOURCE Floravere