#2 ~ Dismantling The Bridal Industrial Complex
One of the main issues I’m finding in the Bridal Industry is the inability to connect with and properly serve the user or end consumer utilizing the latest in technology, customer service, systematization, sustainability as a matter of course and faster development.

While there are companies that specialize in faster development, or sustainable design and production practices, or any of the other things on the list, it’s rare to find a company that makes it a priority to do everything I’ve mentioned.And it’s understandable. If you’re making money doing it as you always have, why change now?
If most bridal brands focus on development 2x a year so that they can present their collections at Bridal Market, then why try something different?
I’ll tell you why.
Because the world is changing faster than we can keep up with it.
It’s not enough to post all your wedding gowns on Facebook.
It’s not enough to schedule several trunk shows a season.
It’s not enough, as a bridal boutique or salon owner to head to Market and make all your buying decisions in those few days/weeks following.
It does NOT serve the customer but rather caters to the already established Bridal Industrial Complex.
It does NOT think about the Bride on an individual level but rather on a mass produced level that shows it’s priorities lie with getting published, celebrity clients, and social media follows.
One has to only visit Bridal Market, open a major magazine or spend time on a popular wedding blog to see inclusivity has taken a back seat.
Not reflective of “real brides”.
Not reflective of current trends.
And not reflective of the varied buying habits of the people they serve.
And that doesn’t address the hole in the industry and how to change them.
As I listen to what Bridal Boutique owners say, their fears with tariffs and online sellers and China Direct sellers, I see that there are clear answers here but no one is really spending the time to find them.
And designers and bridal mega brands design and sell the way they always have.
A lot is ego driven.
A lot is about their “brand” or story.
And NOT a lot is about the actual real, living, breathing, bride at the end of the transaction.
We pride ourselves on “real bride” photos as a validation and marketing/sales technique but turn away from real bride concerns.
We are unreachable and unteachable.
And technologically we are falling behind.
While I do not think business models all need to go to “design your own gown” apps, why do brides have to do so much legwork to find a price?
Why do we force minimums on boutiques that result in their needing to run sample sales to recoup some of the money back for their investment in us?
It doesn’t seem like a sustainable way to do business.
And speaking of sustainability, if we design and produce gowns intended for one bride, why do we have to make SO many? I fully understand the issues with sustainably produced and ethically sourced fabrics and labor, and I understand that things will take time, but isn’t it our responsibility BEFORE dollars hit the cutting room floor, and before anything is draped to figure out how to save dollars and the environment, floor space and manpower? Why decide that a different company can do it, just not yours?
And again I get it. If many of the mega brands have made millions doing things this way, to try to move away from that seems like a fool’s path.
But still, the question begs to be asked, is it really serving the customer or is it about something else entirely?
We are all in business to make money, but to me, designing and crafting and even selling wedding gowns should be about the brides who wear them and the love they are celebrating together and our unique role in this delicate yet beautiful process. If it’s not, how can we move forward with a clear conscience that the way we are doing this is right? I don’t think we can.
This article is not to give clear cut solutions to these questions. Mainly because I KNOW it’s not that simple, but as designers, creators, innovators we owe it to the very people this whole thing is supposed to be about to figure it out together.
I’m willing to do the work, what about you?

