Photography courtesy of Savvy Bridal
Photography courtesy of Savvy Bridal
Imene McCoy opened her first location of Savvy Bridal in Kansas City in 2013. It was a 300-square-foot consignment store, and the very first dress she sold was her own. “That’s how I paid my first month’s rent,” says McCoy, a mother of two and former radio station sales manager. She eventually pivoted the store from a consignment model to carrying designer labels that can be custom-ordered.
Now, McCoy is expanding the business to St. Louis, recently opening a new location at 1905 Park Avenue in Lafayette Square. Shopping is by appointment only. The shop carries a curated collection of bridal gowns that can be custom-ordered to the bride’s size, as well as “off-the-rack” options that can go home with the bride that day.
“We have samples in store from our designers; brides come in and try on a dress, and we'll clip them in,” McCoy says. “If they say yes to the dress, we'll measure them and order and their size.”
Photography courtesy of Savvy Bridal
Dresses at Savvy Bridal’s St. Louis' location range from $1,500–$4,500. Price is incredibly important to McCoy. “I'm a very savvy person when I shop,” she says. “You want the dress to be beautiful. You want to feel your best, but you also don't want to break the bank.”
McCoy says she always keeps the bride's budget in mind, showing dresses with prices leading up to a bride’s budget rather than starting at the top and working down.
“If we can save you money, that is what we’ll do,” McCoy says. “‘Afford your dream dress’ has always been our tagline. That's how the name came about.”
In fact, McCoy hopes to one day open a Simply Savvy Bridal location in St. Louis. In Kansas City, the sister store to Savvy Bridal features lower-priced dresses for all types of brides. In the meantime, St. Louis brides can expect to find “affordable luxury” in Savvy Bridal stores, McCoy says, and is excited to bring “high-end gowns without the price tag.”
“We treat every bride like she’s the only bride for us,” McCoy says.
