Is Fashion In Its Bridal Era?

0:01Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. I hope you all are having a great start to your week Yesterday was actually alex and I's one year wedding anniversary, which feels absolutely insane to say I don't know where the year went it went by so fast We had a bunch of friends and family over at my mom's house at the beach yesterday. It was such a fun day I'm one of those people that really believes that you have to celebrate everything I will like plan a dinner if you have like a really great day at work or something like that I just love to commemorate things and I feel like the one year anniversary is definitely up there.

0:37So it's really fun. We had a great day. And in honor of it being our one year, I wanted to bring somebody on the pod who was incredibly formative to me in my bridal experience for maybe some of the fellow brides listening, but also someone who I think has created this really unique niche for her in both the retail, bridal and fashion space. I actually got tagged in a sub stack a few months ago where one of the listeners of this podcast mentioned that they would love for me to do more bridal moments. So here is your one for the quarter. This week, I got to sit down with the founder of Loho Bride, the most sought after bridal shop in Los Angeles and a haven for brides who are true fashion lovers.

1:19Long before bridal became this moment down the runway, Christy Baird created a space for a made-to-order, fashion-forward bridal experience and was even an early supporter of now-iconic names like Daniel Frankel and Vivian Westwood. We talk about the major bridal boom that we've been seeing over the last few years and this rise of the multi-look wedding weekend. We also talk about why so many ready-to-wear designers are entering their bridal era with bridal collections and bridal-inspired looks. We talk about the biggest trends in bridal if you're getting married. There's great inspiration in here from veils to the scarf dress and of course her best advice for anybody shopping for the big day.

1:58Whether you are planning a wedding or someone who's just really interested in amazing retail spaces, I know you're going to love this episode. Let's go get dressed with Loho bride founder, Christy Baird. I'm so thrilled to have you on the pod today. I've just like loved watching your business boom. Thank you for having me. Of course. How are you today? What's going on? You have this amazing outfit on. What did you wear to the pod today? I'm doing well. I'm wearing a Dries coat and still here jeans, Kate, and a translucent flats that I love because they're so easy to throw on with everything. Very cool.

2:33I haven't seen those. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, they had like flats like this, but I really liked the heel. It's like a nice. It's like a mesh over the like ankle, not the ankle of your foot, the arch of your foot. Yeah. It's really nice. Yeah. They're just easy. And then Jill Sander earrings. Gorge. That's it. Yeah. Well, I'm so happy to be back here a year later. I know it's crazy. It's time has flown. Yeah. For those of you listening who did not know, I got one of my favorite bridal looks from Lego Bride. It was this incredible Richard Quinn that I got kind of sight unseen. Yeah. I tried on the like original of it that was in different fabric and was able to like work really closely with you on that and bringing that to life.

3:15And I, from the moment I met you, I was just such a deep admirer of your business. I think as a fashion lover who went through the wedding process, there weren't a lot of places that really spoke to me in that sense. Like being able to walk into a place that had a lot of designers that I loved or would cater to kind of those more detailed touches. This really, I feel like was a place where I got a lot of inspiration. So thank you. I'm finally, I'm so happy to finally have you on the podcast today to talk about how you grew this business and some things going on in the bridal world. Yeah, thank you.

3:48I'm really excited. And it really never gets old to be able to have brides say to you, you know, you I was finally seen, you know, through your curation or through the experience that you gave me. And that's honestly what keeps us running. It's just like that feeling. So I'd love to hear from you what the starting point was. I know that, you know, you were obviously a bride yourself. But what was this moment for you of being like, okay there's a need for this in LA there's there's a void in the market I'm not really feeling spoken to what was that kind of origin story for Loho yeah so it really started when I was attending a ton of weddings when I was younger it started I think I was like 24 and a lot of the really cool fashion brides were like whoa this was not what I had hoped for I couldn't find these really interesting names that because Pinterest was just coming out and social media was just coming out and, you know, couldn't get their hands on certain designers.

4:44And so it just kind of, you know, it's just one of those weird moments. I never thought I would own a bridal shop, but it just got my curiosity going. And it just, because I wasn't married at the time, it made me wonder where would someone like I, you know, myself go. And so just like kind of a low risk way to see if I was crazy or not, we did a pop-up and all these women showed up. It was a one day pop up and they were getting naked behind room dividers. It was so not thought about because I'd never been to a bridal shop. So I kind of just did it and just was like, let's just learn through this whole madness.

5:18And I it's like when you see the brides come in, just kind of like desperate to be seen and to be represented. That's when it clicked. I was like, OK, I have to do this. I have to open this shop. There are a lot of really cool Australian designers that like no one was bringing in yet. It just felt like I was at the brink of something exciting. And it was, I think, frankly, an industry that was like ready to get a little disrupted. So not only myself, I think a lot of designers, I think other stores since have really noticed that brides needed more option. And that was my mission from the get go.

5:52And to give a genuine experience to that actually, I always say to my team and to people in general, that's like number one is the experience. The pretty things are, you know, just the cherry on top. I'm curious if you think that the industry is still ripe for innovation. Yeah, I do. I think it's just a slower paced industry than regular fashion. I think things just take more time to reinvent. Also, there is still something so precious about it being in person. While there has been a lot of disruption online, and I think that's great, there's still something that I think brides want to experience in person and they want to feel taken care of and understood and listened to.

6:33And that's just something that online can't totally replace. But yeah, I think there's always room for disruption. I think if we just think that we have it all figured out, then we'd all be retired by now, you know? It's interesting. I completely resonate with what you're saying about, you know, brides just were in this room getting naked behind the dividers. In my experience, there was one vintage store or like vintage kind a pop-up in LA that's gotten really popular over the last like few years. And I did end up getting one of my bridal pieces from there, but they had done like a bridal week of short sorts in their showroom.

7:07And I can describe it as feral. Yeah. I can only describe it as feral. Like we were in little tiny blow-up tents in this person's living room and everyone was like trying on everything they could get their hands on. And they were there with their mom and their sister. And it was, It's just, I completely agree that I think, one, there's the appetite for more. But also you are working with a consumer who's in a very like fragile state and needs kind of a lot of guidance and is really looking for that personal touch. Like they don't just want to buy. This isn't a dress that you just buy online. A wedding dress is not something that you're like clicking checkout on online.

7:46Everybody wants to have that moment where they put the dress on and they're like, oh, this is it. Yeah. And they want to feel something, you know, and I think that a really great stylist can listen and be a therapist and even help manage maybe the different dynamics that are going on in the room with other people that you brought there. I mean, stylists are amazing. Bridal stylists. I mean, I think all stylists are amazing, but I think bridal stylists have like another layer that they have to kind of cut through and be there for the bride. And it's really not about them in that moment. It's really about the bride.

8:21And I always tell our staff, like, you can't take that hour back. Like, you have to be able to give them 100 because they deserve that. And they're going to remember that forever. Once in a lifetime fitting. It's something that every time I enter a fitting, I feel that honor. And I also, something I really believe in is even if that bride ended up not being a Loho bride, but you gave them the inexperience of a lifetime, they're going to bring their friend that is maybe more of our aesthetic. Because we are a specific aesthetic. It's not going to land with everybody, but they're going to remember the experience.

8:53And that's the most important thing. Was there a specific bride in your early days or kind of moment or event where you felt it? You were like, everything, this has changed everything for me. One of my first big brides was, and I was in San Francisco at the time, so it was really editors. And Angela Tafoya, who was an editor of the Refining 29 at the time, she was my first big bride. and it really, I remember going home and getting teary eyed because I'm like, oh my gosh, like she's it. Like in San Francisco, like to get her as a bride, like that is, and she was in Houghton, which was a brand that really inspired me that there were going to be more of this type of aesthetic coming out.

9:36It was like a very cool girl brand. She's an OG. Yeah, she's the OG. And so I remember seeing her at market and then that's the designer that Angela ended up picking. And so it just the dots started to connect. And I'm like, OK, I'm on to something because I was in a I was in a fitting room. My whole store was like probably the size of this room. It was me, two racks. And I had someone helping me on the weekend from time to time. But it was really me. So I had to believe in it because it was I had everything in the line to make it work. What year was this? This was 2000. We're turning 11 this year.

10:12So what is that? Like 2012? Yeah. Yeah. Something around there. Is that right? It's just been like a slow progression since then. You know, like we opened the LA store and then I really fell in love with the LA bride. And I didn't have to change my curation down here, which I think was really important. And that's why we decided to really double down and just become a destination here. So when I walked in earlier today, we were talking about this idea of a bridal boom. And I feel like we've been in one in the last few years. And maybe my idea of a bridal boom is that I'm just seeing more designers lean into bridal.

10:47Yeah. Right? Like CultGuy, I just came out with a bridal collection. I'm seeing more and more people want to partake in the bridal industry. But when I had brought that up to you earlier, you were like, you know, people in the bridal industry would not say we're in a bridal boom. People would say maybe post-COVID, we had this major moment. How do you feel about that now? Do you feel like it's decreasing? What's your take right now on the bridal market? Like kind of what I was saying earlier, I think it's just kind of leveled to what it was before. But it was such an intense boom after COVID. I mean, because all of those weddings essentially got pushed back.

11:24Yeah, pushed back. And then it was like double, triple the amount of weddings that would have happened that year happened. And so I think everyone was just trying to kind of, I don't know, hold on for dear life because it was so extreme. So that's leveled out. So that's I think my definition of the wedding boom was like the post-COVID. where there was just so much business and so many weddings happening and vendors were charging a lot more. And it was just a crazy time to be getting married. Okay, I'll rephrase the question. Do you think that fashion is in a bridal boom? Yeah, I think everyone wants a piece of it, for sure.

12:00I think that they see how lucrative it is. I think that they understand that people are willing to spend more money on an item. But it's funny. One of our designers, Cortana, she has always had ready to wear and then broke into bridal. And she said, I'm not changing the prices just because it's in champagne or ivory. But I don't think a lot of people see it that way. I think that they're seeing it as, oh, if I just make this in white and ivory, I can just sell it and say that it's bridal. And so I get it. There's like an opportunity there. I see that with a lot. I mean, I think of brands like Victoria Beckham, who doesn't have a bridal collection, but I see a lot of her pieces being made in this like beautiful ivory white.

12:40And I'm like that. Personally, I think every major designer right now should have at least one or two bridal pieces in their collection, whether they're marketing it as bridal or not. Yeah. I just see so much opportunity and so many former brides, current brides that were kind of in my position that were looking for pieces from brands that they love that would work for their wedding weekend. Yeah. And they didn't want to just buy from, you know, the 10 biggest bridal brands out there. They wanted something that felt a little bit more true to their personal style. Yeah. Now, when I look at certain designers, I'm like, you would do so well with a bridal collection.

13:14Yeah. Like just. Well, and I think it's also like I know Christopher Esber just got into bridal as well. And it's like so smart. Yeah. Like beautiful pieces that people go to for resort wear or just in their normal life. And it's like, of course, that mental connection to that brand would want to cross over into bridal. So I think it's great. I mean, I think the, we need more options and, you know, there's a lot more events now that people consider and there's a lot of things to fill in, to be honest. I mean, think about how many looks you wore, you know, and like that was like different vibes, different places, different energies.

13:50And so I think having brands show, you know, this kind of new era of bridal is amazing. I wonder for you how that's impacting your business because I'm sure 11 years ago when you first started, a bride was coming in looking for just their wedding dress. Are they coming in now with a whole different kind of set of requirements or things they're looking for? And how has that changed the way that you're buying for Loho? Yeah, it's changed a lot. It's crazy. I didn't know if it was just a wedding boom thing for a while, but it's kind of just stuck. And so, yeah, you're right. Ten years ago, it was very rare that a bride was coming in looking to spend thousands of dollars.

14:27I think they'd be like, oh, I'm just going to get like a whatever after party look. And now I think with just how things are featured and social media and just what now they've seen be like become a norm. It is so common now to be wearing numerous different things. I would say at least three to five looks for the weekend is what I'm hearing. So yeah, we definitely look into brands that we believe. I do have to be careful because obviously if it's all over the internet, it's a little more difficult. I still want to be made to order. That's something that I feel really passionately about. And if you can just get it online easily, then what's the point of coming here?

15:08So brands like Line, I love having because they're really special side looks and it's just something where you can only get it out of store for the most part at this point. What's your best piece of advice for somebody who is walking in the door and maybe hasn't prepped for the made-to-order process? Like, do they need to have a vision ahead of time? I feel like that's one thing that I wasn't mentally prepared for at the time, and people ask my advice now. It's like, what do you have to think about if you're going in to doing a custom dress? Custom or just made-to-order in general? Let's start with made-to-order.

15:40Made-to-order. So for made-to-order, it really is a disservice to come in and not have looked at anything or have any type of inspiration. It's a bit of a pet peeve when someone comes in and they say, I don't know anything. I don't have a venue. I don't know what the vibe is. And expect me as an expert to just understand them immediately and their style. I mean, I think our team is very good at reading and trying to piece that together. But it's so nice when the bride fills out the questionnaire and really gives us something to work with. because then I now have to spend the next 15 to 20 minutes to like decode the aesthetic and the style.

16:21And, you know, it, it really isn't, it just isn't like a productive meeting when a bride comes and is prepared. And I mean, I love a mood board, you know, showing a Pinterest board, anything of that nature and, or this bride's wedding really inspired me. Like I can do so much more with that. So I think before coming in, really do a little homework, even if it's that, I'm just curious about this. I always say dress shopping is like killing the curiosity of a bunch of different versions of you as a bride. And so I just want to know those things because it can really help me think of what I can put in front of you or even something that I don't have right now that I know is coming or a trunk show that's coming to town.

17:03There's all these things that can get unlocked if you come with that work done already. It just helps everybody. And what about for custom? For custom, that's a different game. So I think right now I'm mostly doing custom where we're customizing on top of an existing style because I think it's a lot easier to digest. I think that's the way to go 100%. Yeah. Like building a dress from ground zero, like literally coming up with the entire shape, unless you have an exact reference of something you want to copy. Yeah. It's so hard. It's really, really hard. And I think it creates some anxiety sometimes because the bride wants to know like that it's going to all work out.

17:44Yeah. And you're basically going through a big period of time figuring that out. Or I think it's working with like we did a pop up with like one of in New York, who I know you worked with too, right? Love Patricia's coming on the podcast. So if you guys are interested in hearing more about one of that will be out soon. I'm obsessed with her. And I also my favorite part of the space that we're in right now is your one of custom mini. Yes, I know. I think that's smart. I love that you got that because I feel like only fashion girls understood what the muslins were and stuff. So before you continue on, I want to explain what it is.

18:18So in the VIP area of Loho, there is a, I'm staring at it right now. There's basically a wall of muslins from one of, and then what would you call like fabrics that can go on top of the muslins? Yeah. It's like different. It's like like that. I'm looking at like a feather one. I'm looking at like a lace one, a beaded one. And if you're someone who wants to make your own bridal mini, you can here, you can customize it. Yeah. Genius. Yeah. And that's like, but even then that's kind of like Demi bespoke, right? Because it's like the bodice exists and yeah. But I mean, I got the privilege of sitting into a few fully custom with her and it's a true craft.

18:59And so that's something where we would rather more point someone in the right direction or like I said, customize on top of something existing because what she does is magic. And just like the references that she has to vintage silhouettes and the dead stock that she uses, like that's like, that's your like a whole other business. So we really want to like support brides in getting into the right hands where we're maybe supporting from the side or we're doing more Demi. Do you know who I think really did a good job of in fashion of doing bridal? I think maybe you and I have talked about this before.

19:31Christopher John Rogers. Yes. I think did an incredible job of having a standard ready-to-wear business, not having to create an entire new side custom bespoke world of bridal, but taking his most iconic pieces and turning them white. Yeah. Like he has the iconic strawberry dress, which really, I feel like launched the brand. And I then in the following year, I saw a few brides wear it all in white. And I thought that was such a great way to bring in a new customer to Christopher John Rogers. but then also be able to expand your offering in a way that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Yeah. So smart.

20:07I would love for him to do a bridal collection. Christopher, if you're listening, please come out with bridal. I think you and I have talked about that for over a year. I'm interested. I think the first time I met you, we talked about it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have a crazy discovery list where I like track dream people or, you know. Okay, who's on it? I mean, Simone Rocha is definitely one that I harass regularly. It needs to happen. Yeah, yeah. And you, I should have seen the body language I just had just now. It was a visceral response. I have her veil out there. I have her shoes out there. Like I'm manifesting that she will be on my racks.

20:43I've also, I'm no shame. I wasn't, when I was in London, I'll like go into the store and I'll drop my card and say, hey, if she ever gets into bridal, let me know. The store manager's like, okay. Sometimes it takes like years. like I've had some people come around that I reached out to like years ago and they're like, okay, we're finally doing it, you know? So, or like we finally were a fit for them because obviously when I first started, no one knew who I was. And so it was like, hey, like I'm this new, you know, store, like take a chance on me. And, and so, so yeah, it's just always good to like manifest like designers that you believe that you can bring a voice to.

21:21I love that you're like physically going and leaving your card. That's how you run a business. That's how you get in front of people, truly. Yeah. Yeah. Who knows if it ever got passed, but you got to try. You got to try. When brides are coming in now, what do you think is driving the biggest bridal trends? Is it celebrity weddings? Is it ready to wear runway shows that you're seeing? Is it trends in fashion? What has been the biggest indicator where you're seeing multiple brides come in the door and ask for this one thing? If you're talking about a more fashion forward bride like, you know, a lot of ours are.

21:54I think Vogue weddings definitely play a part. Yeah, celebrity weddings. There's just endless content, though. And so I think having brides, once they make a decision, try to chill out on that. I don't think anyone really just stops following everybody. But I think just like relaxing on it a little bit and maybe taking a breather because it's constant. And I feel bad for these brides. You can just see them, their wheels turning, you know, overstimulation. And then the bridal markets are releasing collections that won't be available for those brides, you know, because it's not for their season.

22:31Yeah, it's a full year in advance. Yeah. So it's tough. I actually I genuinely feel bad for brides because I could see how much it's like tearing them down, you know, like, so you just got to own it. And I know that honestly, too, there's a lot of beautiful dresses that you could wear. But you chose this one and that's that. And I know this might sound silly, but if you are planning to change, know that you can also get different things out. So I was so happy that all my looks were so different because I feel like I got to fulfill a different version of myself as a bride in those different moments.

23:06I felt very fulfilled and I still look back and love all the different things. And I feel like just watching your wedding and the looks that you served, like I felt the same way. It's like she got to be vintage. She got to be sparkly lace, like, you know, and that's fun. So if that is something, maybe it will take the pressure off a little bit. What are some trends you're seeing right now? Speaking of lace and capes and all the things like what are some of the biggest bridal trends that you're seeing this summer? I think a lot of people are we're still seeing so much bask and drop waste because again, I think in bridal, they are slower trends.

23:39So but what's exciting about this season is I feel like people are really wanting to reinvent them. And so just even I love like the exaggerated hip trend that's going on right now, but it's still drop waste. And I do see capes coming back a little bit, but more like attachable, more feminine, not like over the shoulder. A lot of removable stuff still. But again, just just reinventing it because I think there's only so many trends that can go down in bridal before they start repeating. And if it, what does feel fresh to me now though, is like Danielle doing like really interesting fabrications, like cutouts, like textures.

24:20That's where I think most people could look at that and say that is so original to her and what she brought this season. I love all the hand painted stuff that she's doing, just like unique fabrications, I think is what our brides are getting really excited about. and then like I said if it is you know a style that we're seeing a lot of the drop waste but like what's that twist on it is what I'm looking for at least. Daniel Frankel's an enigma to me. Yeah. Unbelievable. I'm so impressed with what she built truly. Yeah. Because it's high fashion bridal and I almost sometimes I'm like wait can you make that in a ready-to-wear version?

24:57Yeah. Can you make that in a different color? Yeah and it's a lot of pressure to keep topping the previous season and then it'll get released. So, and it's, this latest collection was truly mind blowing. What about accessories? The next scarf is still, this is where I'm talking about, where the trends just keep sticking around. I can't believe it's still going. Nikki Campbell, who's, if you follow Nikki Campbell, he's a red carpet commentator. And it's so funny. He will like see people come on the red carpet with the neck scarf. And every time he's like, could we have just paused for a second and decided if you really needed the neck scarf?

25:31Did we need it? Yeah. I do think, however, for bridal, I think it has more of its place than I think it has on a red carpet. Yeah. There's such a romance to it. And I think seeing a bride walk down the aisle with the scarf or anything kind of blowing in the wind, I think is really beautiful. But yes, I think we're almost at it. I think it's hard because it is so it is such a game changer. I have brides that have said yes, because the next scarf went on. So I totally understand. I think that I would just want maybe people to get a little creative. Like, I think it'd be so cool to like embroider it with something or do some type of interesting, you know, detailing on it.

26:09Just something that maybe like makes us think like, oh, she really thought about how to like judge the next scarf trend right now. So that and then I just think the veil is being thought of more than like more and more. I feel like the veil is really being thought of as like the full picture and just interesting detailing. Again, I can't, you know, I have to talk about Daniel Frankel's like the painted veil, you know, like things like that where it's like, oh, I actually should invest in this. Like it really is a point of interest. And there's something about it that I think just really makes the whole look and makes like women feel like a bride.

26:49And so I think just getting creative with that, though. So I'd say that, I mean, again, a lot of like, like a lot of removable skirts and capes and it's kind of the same thing, but just what's the twist on it? I also think that's more of like an affordable way to do it. If you're buying one piece that can serve for both moments, I think that's a great way for brides who don't want to be buying a ton of different dresses. Like finding one where you can either like take the skirt out or take a cape off to serve as your after party moment is so fun. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But I mean, now having been in this for over 10 years, I've seen the cycles.

27:23And so it's hard sometimes to always feel like you can peg new trends every year because it, you know, like you've seen it before and you're like, okay, they're back now. Or like when the big sleeves were in, you know, like that lasted like three years. So it just, it doesn't feel as like on the spot trend as like what you feel with like fashion week and stuff. Yeah. Obviously with this new space that we're in now. You're really targeting that fashion lover, someone who wants to work maybe one-on-one with a designer. And I know that you are really passionate about finding and supporting new designers in the space.

27:59What does that look like for you? How are you finding them? And is there one that you think everybody should be paying attention to right now? Yeah, I would say my rising stars right now would be Wed Studio. They're a really cool duo out of London. And then Varka, she's based out of Chicago. I think they're really cool, have like an edge to them, really flattering silhouettes. And it's kind of one of those feelings where you feel like they're just getting started. They're shaking things up during markets. It's like all the things that you kind of look for. Something that's so important to me is I want people to come in and really see the difference in designer on the rack.

28:36So if I I already feel like we are representing a certain aesthetic. I'm not going to duplicate it. And I think that's something that people have admired about our curation. Sometimes you go into bridal shops and I've just had other brides tell me, oh, there was just a lot of the same. And that's fine to each their own. I just, for me, it's so important that you see the difference of voice and originality. And yeah, that's basically what I'm looking for. It's just is, do I feel something different? Have I not seen something like this? And what are they looking to say? I started with Danielle seven years ago.

29:13You know, Vivian Westwood really has only been doing made to order for the last like five, six years. Crazy. Yeah. So probably made more on that dress than they have in the entire history of Vivian Westwood. Yeah. Right. Yeah. It's great. I mean, it's truly an iconic dress and clearly not going anywhere. Demi Lovato just wore it. I'm not look I think I love the brand I think the dress is spectacular I am still shocked to my core I know every time I see it hey you know it feels good I think you tried it on right I mean there is there's like a feeling to it for sure my mother was like can I dye this purple and wear it for your wedding I was like it's a bit too recognizable mom they do sell it in colors now it's always on the red carpet every year in color it's so crazy to me yeah it's so crazy I was like mom it's a little too recognizable for you to wear, but.

30:01Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, like, I'm starting with them there, right? Like, I'm not picking people up really when they've already. Blown up. Blown up. And so, that process is so rewarding. And it's so cool to see, you know, to even have them say things like, oh, the feedback you gave me was so useful. And that really helped fuel this. And so it's, I just, I love it. I just love being a part of the whole process from between the bride, the designer, all of that. So for brides who are listening, can you share a little bit about the space that we're in right now and what that offering looks like?

30:38Yes. Because it's super unique. You don't find it anywhere else. That's for sure. Yeah. We really wanted, I think some brides love being around other brides and there's like a cool energy to that. But I also find this experience to be extremely personal. People can be having body things come up. And, you know, again, there's family dynamics, like so many feelings come up about a lot of different things. And so we wanted people to be able to book, you know, a very private experience. Also, we're in Los Angeles, so that comes in handy. But it's not just for famous people or anything like that. It's truly, you know, if someone wants to pay for the fitting fee and they want to be with me and they want to really kind of take it further than just what's on the rack.

31:22I love that exploration and I love to introduce them to things that maybe just wouldn't come to mind by just visiting here. So it's kind of hard to describe, but it's so much just like taking it another step further, really wanting extra guidance from someone that's really in the thick of it and is constantly looking at all this stuff. And yeah, so if it ends up being a match to where I can introduce them to a designer or bring in a special request or like we talked about earlier, going demi bespoke. That's what I wanted to be able to give access to. I don't take a lot of brides every week, but I really take them with care.

31:58And, you know, it's fun because it's somebody is going to get something different from it depending on who they are and what they're looking for and what the fashion vibe is really. On that note, what's your biggest piece of advice for brides who are walking in the door and don't know where to start? I would say, again, what I said earlier, which is like really do your homework a little bit. It just, it will get you so much further in the fitting. And then I know we also said this too, but like staying open, I would say if you can come with not a lot of people, at least the first time. Cosign.

32:31Yes. Yeah. I see that really go wrong. And what's nice about maybe coming back is saying, hey, I've already favorited these dresses. They're ones that I love. So it kind of sets the tone with the group of like, okay, she's already designated these as favorites. Why don't we chill a little bit and see what her response is first? A lot of barking. It still shocks me to this day after a decade of doing this work, how people just can't be happy for people or they can't just let them have their own opinion first. So I would be mindful of that. I would not bring too many people to your first fitting.

33:10Yeah. Especially because you're learning. You're learning in the beginning. So be mindful of that. A hundred percent. Yeah. Have you had any like crazy stories of like people who have come in or like, you know, maybe their dress hasn't made it in time? Like what are some like things that have happened that you're like, don't do this guys? I think I was the most shocked by someone bringing, and this has happened numerous times, but this particular incident was a wine cooler and they were in a limo all day. So they were already completely trashed. Came in, photographer comes out, they're taking pictures, they're drinking more from the cooler.

33:47And this is my last appointment. So I'm like real spent. I'm like, oh my goodness. And then it turned into like a boudoir shoot. So I finally had to like, take myself out of the equation. I'm pretty sure they were blacked out at that point. And so I'm like, hey, our time is up. We're going to have to wrap this up. I have to go home. So the fact that people see it as like almost a bachelorette is, I think that's what's crazy. Because I'm like, we're taking our jobs so seriously right now in giving you this time and really wanting you to find something. But some people view it that way. Also, guys, no colored liquids around the dress.

34:25Yeah. Like the wine? The wine. Yeah. So it was like, if you see somebody with a wine cooler, do not let them in. Kick them out. Now, if I see the cooler, I'm like, oh, God. Who knew? I know. Thank you so much for coming on today. Oh my gosh, thank you. This was really fun. I loved hearing all about this. Again, I'm such a big fan. I love everything you do. So I can't wait to see more from you in the future. Thank you. Thank you, Liv. I appreciate it.

35:08Thank you.