EVENING COLLECTIVE – Redefining the Bridesmaid Experience

Lapalme Magazine recently sat with Chief Marketing Officer Revae Norvell who discussed breaking the stigma associated with being a Bridesmaid through films like ‘Bridesmaids’ and more, and how Evening Collective is spearheading this new-age approach. 

We started Evening Collective in the heart of the garment district of New York City, A place that lives and breathes Fashion and Craftsmanship. Our goal was simple: Bring the beauty and artistry of master dressmaking into the bridesmaid experience, with a price that won’t add any stress to your wedding.

We’re passionate about quality materials.

Affordable, beautiful dresses don’t need to manufactured from cheap fabrics. We source only the best materials and showcase the latest trends, cutting costs without sacrificing quality. We cut out the middleman to deliver made-to-order dresses direct from the factory, saving your bridesmaids money on dresses that still look and fit great. 

We’re passionate about quality Workmanship.

We design our dresses to last, even if they’re meant for a single night. We believe in creating dresses that look great, fit well, and won’t let your Bridesmaids down no matter what they put their dresses through. We fit test every style and craft every dress to meticulous, uncompromising standards so you and your bridal party don’t have to worry about anything once you put your dresses on.

Most of all, we’re passionate about you and your bridal party.

It’s your big day, and we’ve got you covered. We want you and your bridal party to look great, feel great, and have the time of your lives. Finding the perfect dress should be fun, even easy, and we’re here to help.

1) Explain the genesis of ‘Evening Collective’? 

We started Evening Collective in the heart of the Garment District of New York City. We saw a need for bridesmaids to put on a dress and not only look great, feel great, and have the time of their lives but also enjoy the shopping journey online. We knew that our bridesmaids would love to have the opportunity to try on samples at home before they purchase! We wanted to make this feel like an elevated event without the high price they’d receive for this type of service. Our goal was simple: bring the beauty and artistry of master dressmaking with a fun, engaging customer experience into the bridesmaid world. By only sourcing the best materials and showcasing the latest trends, we’ve proved that being cost-effective never has to sacrifice quality and style. We wanted to design dresses that last, even if they are worn for only a single night! Our mission is to be the go-to bridesmaid company that not only provides beautiful dresses but unmatched customer service. We are a company that vows to have genuine care and concern for the selections our bridesmaids are making for this significant day! 

2) How is Evening Collective changing the way women think when they hear the term ‘bridesmaid’? 

At Evening Collective, we’ve been bridesmaids ourselves, so we know that the role comes with a lot of responsibility, stress, cost, and indecision with the dress shopping experience. We want our bridesmaids to know that “We get it. It’s stressful. Let us take that away from you and have some fun!” We want our bridesmaids to feel like they’re part of a real party! We look at our bridesmaids like new friends that we get to shop with. And who doesn’t love new friends and shopping? The most significant part of who we are and what we do is creating a community of women that enjoy their experience so much they wish to be a bridesmaid again! 

3) With so many bridesmaids themed films skewing to the negative, how does Evening Collective differ in approach to make this a unique, inclusive, and fun time for all? 

We have seen every bridesmaid movie, and they tend to make the whole process seem like ZERO fun. When you shop with us, we promise the best time! 

While there are stresses that come with being a bridesmaid, our approach is being very hands-on with our bridal parties. We want our bridesmaids to feel like they have a personal shopper right at their fingertips. We help them select styles, assist with sizing, offer color and fabrics options, and the list goes on and on. 

Every single bridal party is different, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable to us. You get to hear about the bridal party’s friendships, listen to the love story of the bride, see each bridesmaid’s personalities come alive through their style and color selections, and be a small part of the planning of such a special day! We hope that our passion for our bridal parties and dresses shines through with this unique experience that you can only receive with Evening Collective. 

4) You are all about inclusivity not only from a brand point of view but also in size. Take us behind why this is so important? 

We believe that every single woman that shops with us can choose any style dress and wear it without hesitation! It is so important to us to represent and support every woman (no matter their size), and that is reflected in our sizing options. Our sizes range from 0-30, and we have the option of regular length dresses and extra-long dresses to accommodate all heights. We love the women that shop with us because they are all unique, beautiful, and they are the ones that bring such life to our brand! 

5) Speaking of being inclusive, explain the concept of the ‘try on’ party and how this is a unique positioning for the brand?  

The ‘try on’ party is a party that we feel everyone should join! We know that shopping for bridesmaid dresses online can make some women feel a little hesitant when it comes to that final purchase. Bridesmaids can select any dress, in any size, and try on in the comfort of their own home for only $15. And if they are trying to decide between sizes and styles, we offer an exclusive offer to these bridesmaids where they can try on 2 for only $25! How great is that? It is the best way to see the fit and look of the dress before you commit! Also, it’s the perfect time to get together with the bridal party, pop some champagne, and try them on together. We make the online showroom experience fun, but we thought we would amp it up a notch and allow for the dresses to come to bridesmaids before they make their final dress commitment. 

6) Your site works on a showroom platform to pull color palettes and trends together in one accessible portal for everyone to view; what are the 2020 styles and colors bridal parties should be experimenting with? 

 For 2020, we already have our top contenders when it comes to styles and colors. Some styles that bridesmaids should consider are the Bridget, Nori, Piper, Juliet, and Dixie. Colors that should be on everyone’s hue radar are our pastel colors like blush, sage, and moonlight, and we even suggest going bold with colors like coral, royal, and claret. With 42 different styles and 36 colors to choose from, there is no shortage of options for our bridesmaids.

7) We love some of the recommendations on your site for parties; What makes an excellent experience for the ‘bridesmaids’ party in your opinion from start to finish? 

We want the experience of shopping for bridesmaids dresses to be fun, social, and straightforward. From start to finish, we’ve created an elevated experience. We talked to tons of brides and bridesmaids and listened to love stories, horror stories, and developed something that not only takes away the frustration but brings the party vibes.

For us, a great shopping experience starts with the bridal party. The exciting energy that the bridal party brings when creating a showroom with us is unparalleled. We allow brides and bridesmaids to shop together and decide together in their own exclusive space, and they love it! With continued communication with our Bridal Party Experts, these parties receive individualized styling and ordering assistance. From sizing to styling questions, we make sure that every bridal party is receiving their personal concierge, and the only finger they have to lift is the click of their mouse to start shopping! 

8) Where is Evening Collective headed in 2020? What are the goals set forth for the brand? Would you venture into tech app territory, for example, or collaborations?

Our grand opening was fall 2019, so our most important goal is connecting with our brides and her bridal party. We aim for a real friendship from the beginning to the end of their shopping experience. 

We plan to continue to connect with the bridal parties not only before the wedding but after. We also plan on adding new styles and shades with our continued growth. But we don’t want to give everything away! You’ll have to stay tuned and see what 2020 brings for Evening Collective!

Visit eveningcollective.com for more information.