ALICE IN IVORY - DALLAS
On the second floor, up in the magnolia trees with a balcony that opens up to a view of the neighbourhood and pink patio below, the airy, modern and romantic Alice in Ivory store is situated in the city of Dallas in Texas, USA, in a contemporary area called the Bishop Arts District. This wonderful new stockist forms part of a buzzing community of cute shops, restaurants, cocktail bars, and live music, and has just started taking bridal appointments, as our exclusive retailer in Dallas.
Alice in Ivory’s co-owner, Lexi, runs the Dallas shop alongside her husband, Mike, and with the help of their Chicago Alice in Ivory team, “Mike and I both grew up in Iowa and met through friends in college. We started dating long distance shortly after I had graduated and moved to Chicago for an internship. Eventually he moved to Chicago, we dated for quite a while, got engaged during the pandemic and married during an ‘almost normal’ feeling October 2021. We have experienced a lot throughout the years, good and bad, but have truly loved this chapter and building this business together!”
Lexi and Mike partnered with the Alice in Ivory owners, Kaylee and Zach, to bring this first Alice franchise to life and have been immensely appreciative of their mentorship and trust in making it a reality.
This luxurious and welcoming boutique is the perfect mother, daughter, and grandmother destination and the perfect getaway for a dress shopping weekend, “When we saw the space, we immediately knew it was where we needed to be. If the pink stairs and pink tile on the building weren’t enough of a sign, the building has ‘it was all a dream…’ written across the top. It’s a phrase we had hanging in our own home (a neon light) – so it felt meant to be!”
Lexi had always worked in client service focused industries including events, retails, as a fitness instructor and spent 10 years at an advertising agency in Chicago. When she began planning her own wedding, she got a glimpse into the wonderful community of wedding vendors where everyone was so eager to help couples make their day perfect, whatever that entailed, “I loved the energy and positivity, it’s such a fun time to meet people and be involved in their story!” Said Lexi.
The space that they have created speaks to a fusion of vintage and modern, with billowy cloud wallpaper, blush linen draperies, gilt antique mirrors, sconces inspired by Parisian bistros, boucle couches, muted rugs and crystal chandeliers. Not to mention being met with bridal acoustics or cheerful songs aligned with the feeling of a carefree a road trip with the windows down and wind in your hair.
The wedding dress shopping experience is enhanced through each fitting room being more like a private suite for the bride and her guests. Their signature antique mirror in the main space allows for brides to see the gown move, as they step outside of the vintage French doors of their fitting room and walk “down the aisle” toward their reflection.
As a recent bride having gone through the search herself, Lexi relates whole-heartedly to the experience, “I bought my own dress at Alice in Ivory Chicago – I loved the designers they carried but I also LOVED the experience I had in their boutique. They listened, helped me process and prioritise my favourites and never pushed me to make a final decision.”
Lexi was initially drawn to Bo & Luca because of her love of the flowing fabrics and signature intricate details that are effortlessly identifiable and unique, and says, “Because of that, the gowns can appeal to a range of brides and styles – boho, classic, luxury, relaxed.”
Currently her most-loved designs are the DALLAS and ELLA gowns but she exclaimed that she has no doubt she’ll be rotating favourites as she starts to see the pieces on more brides.
Her motivation for her work is set in wanting to share the same understanding environment for the brides in Dallas. Lexi is passionate about this, along with being able to make decisions that impact her own business and working with others who also love helping people find what makes them feel the most special and beautiful version of themselves.
“I knew I pictured myself doing something different vs following the typical steps on the corporate ladder at my advertising agency, so I sought after new roles and opportunities within my company trying to find my niche. I started to feel restless and unmotivated and I wish I could tell myself back then, that this opportunity with Alice in Ivory was coming! It’s a scary thing, leaving a steady job to start something completely new but it feels so refreshing to jump into this world of being a business owner in the bridal industry!”
For brides on their journey to finding their dream wedding gown, Lexi would reassure that not everybody has the emotional reaction seen in the movies, and that it’s completely normal, “I recommend taking a lot of pictures while dress shopping – if they’re unsure, then they can take a pause, look back at pictures and there will be one or two that they’re drawn toward or will just feel right. It’s also important to dress shop after having the date and venue picked out. Those two things can really impact the vision for their dress!”
QUICK Q & A
FAVOURITE BRIDAL TREND OF 2022
I will always love pearls and Swiss dot fabric, but I love that brides are really doing their own thing lately – truly bringing their personal style forward, not just in the dress but making the whole day feel unique to them.
FAVOURITE WEDDING SONG
Our recessional song was Fresh Feeling by the Eels and it will always bring back the best memories of our day <3
FAVOURITE WEDDING FLOWER
Billy Balls and Delphinium
SLEEVES OR SLEEVELESS
Too hard to choose, I love a good puff sleeve but probably sleeveless or off-shoulder.
CHAMPAGNE OR WINE
Bubbles for sure
BO & LUCA GOWNS CARRIED IN-STORE
Eva, Lou, Dallas, Rosa, Harper, Ella, India, Primrose and Nina.
