For wedding belles
Nordstrom has been hearing wedding bells for years, doing brisk business in wedding gowns, tuxedos and accessories for the “big day.â€
But now, the Seattle-based retailer is fine-tuning its nuptial offerings with the Wedding Suite, a new in-store bridal shop featuring a trend-right selection of gowns, bridesmaid dresses and accessories including clutches, shoes, jewelry and veils in a dedicated area of the store.
“Our customer wanted something that was just for her,†said Fanya Chandler, national stylist director for Nordstrom, “that felt more like a bridal boutique … she wants to feel like a princess.â€
The first Wedding Suite opened last week at Nordstrom’s store at the Westfield Topanga shopping center in Canoga Park.
Semi-enclosed by a series of glass walls and boasting an elegant marble floor, the suite stocks items that were already carried in the different areas of the store but, wrangled together, take on a decidedly more celebratory vibe.
White, cream and ivory gowns are hung around the edges and throughout the middle of the boutique, around a table display of glittering accessories including jeweled clutches; rhinestone bangles, earrings and necklaces; birdcage veils, hair baubles; and the perfect wedding shoe, a satin Badgley Mischka high heel topped by a fluttering flower available in cream and a rainbow of jewel tones for $200. There’s also a gold glitter-covered pump from Christian Louboutin for $595.
When it came to merchandising the boutique, there was a concerted effort to keep prices reasonable, said Chandler, so gowns — from brands including ML Monique Lhuillier, BCBG, Tadashi, Sue Wong and Eliza J — are priced from a rock-bottom $180 to a still-friendly $2,000.
Beginning in January, the Wedding Suites will unveil a series of proprietary capsule gown collections from Tadashi, Sue Wong and ML Monique Lhuillier, among other brands.
In addition to a wide selection of bridesmaid dresses in solid colors and florals, the shop features a small selection of reception dresses — knee-length white and cream dresses for brides looking to pull off a costume change — from labels including Calvin Klein, Eliza J and Sue Wong.
But the highlight of the suite, perhaps, is its fitting room, dubbed the Bridal Salon.
The elegant, gray and cream fitting area features no-shadow three-way mirrors, pedestals in every room, curtains that can open up for groups, a private cash register, drawers stocked with wedding-ready lingerie and shape-wear (including rhinestone-studded “I Do†lace panties), customer iPads for looking up references online and a huge, comfy, curved couch, because “we’ve come to realize that our bride comes with an entourage,†noted Chandler.
The Wedding Suite at Nordstrom Topanga, 21725 Victory Blvd., Canoga Park. Appointments with Wedding Suite stylists are available by calling (818) 884-7900. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
SALE
Abandoned Treasures pop-up sale through Jan. 30: Find vintage treasures, high-end denim and past-season looks from brands including Rag & Bone, Y3, Helmut Lang, Raf Simons and Paul Smith for at least 50% off at this pop-up sale, which is being co-hosted by American Rag Cie, across the street from the retailer’s La Brea Avenue store.
159 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 936-0731. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
OPENING
Richard Mille: High-end watchmaker Richard Mille has opened its first-ever store in the Americas on Rodeo Drive — a 1,400-square-foot boutique featuring the brand’s full collection of high-performance watches, including the RM 010 Automatic, the RM 021 Aerodyne Tourbillon and the diamond-set RM 007 for women.
222 Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 285-9898. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Lightning Bolt: Forty-year-old surf brand Lightning Bolt has opened its first standalone store, outside of its Honolulu shop, in Venice Beach. The industrial-feeling space, which features posters from Lightning Bolt’s 1970s beginnings, stocks the brand’s brightly hued tees, shorts, sweats and surfboards.
1510 Pacific Ave., Venice. (310) 399-3737. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
