Established in 2011, the internationally loved fashion brand, named for its designer Sareh Nouri, is growing quickly. Sareh Nouri bridal and its recently launched eveningwear collections are now in over 60 stores worldwide, including Kleinfelds, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in the U.S. – effectively engaging an audience beyond bridal.
Female-founded and led, Sareh Nouri made its mark in the bridal industry offering classic brides a fashion-forward twist, all designed and produced fully in the U.S. Nouri has described her design aesthetic as reminiscent of the golden era of Hollywood, looking to fashion icons like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn for inspiration.
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“The gowns in all of my collections can transcend time and allow for brides to love the gown the day they wear it and for many more years to come,” said Nouri. “My designs stand out because all of the gowns are truly unique and feature beautiful hand draping, architectural seam work and novelty unique fabrications. There are lots of trends in bridal that come and go each season, but one trend that never goes out is a timeless and classic style and that is always at the foundation of my designs.”
A notable detail across Sareh Nouri’s collections is an iconic bow detailing. The signature element is one that retailers noted that brides in the know have come to ask for specifically as it has remained a constant from season to season.
“The bows in our collection are highly sought after and many brides look to add our bows even on styles that are not shown with bows to make a memorable moment on their wedding day,” said Nouri. “We have also had brides that reuse their bows for their baby portraits laying their babies on the bows as a sentimental token to their wedding day.”
Stories of brides incorporating details of their Sareh Nouri gowns into their lives have grown especially on social media and have been a driver for the brand to see tremendous growth within the U.S. Brides reach out to the brand on social media and email to connect with the brand to order gowns directly and to share stories. Nouri said she is touched to see families where sets of sisters all wear Sareh Nouri bridal gowns, sharing that she has seen the same with cousins or best friends who all want to be Sareh Nouri brides.
As a result, several new cities, states and countries now offer Sareh Nouri collections.
Notably, over the last couple of years demand for Sareh Nouri’s statement-making gowns has grown internationally, an experience that Nouri told Fairchild Studios has been a rewarding one and impactful on the design process. In Japan, Sareh Nouri has partnered with luxury bridal and evening salons to create several custom gowns while many brides in countries that do not currently have a Sareh Nouri salon have connected with the brand directly. Each is an opportunity for the growth of the brand.
“There are so many different cultural and religious traditions around bridal gowns that we have really had the opportunity to create different modifications to our gowns from neckline changes to closing the backs, and adding long sleeves to the gowns,” said Nouri. “Normally when we create custom gowns for cultural or religious reasons we work with the stores and brides by offering to do a muslin prototype of the gown before completing the final gown. There is a lot of back and forth with our team and the salon team to make sure that we accomplish what the bride is asking for.”
Listening to her clientele has been key in growing the Sareh Nouri brand and what ultimately led to the launch of an eveningwear collection in 2021. With the evening collection, Nouri told Fairchild Studios, ongoing requests are coming from mothers of the bride asking for gowns. Originally exclusive to the Sareh Nouri flagship location, the evening collection is now offered in numerous stores nationally and internationally. By partnering with several of the salons that were already carrying the bridal collections, the brand has been able to seamlessly offer gowns for an entirely new customer, where she is. And according to Nouri, getting into more stores is just the start, there is still an opportunity to expand the line and followers can expect even more growth.
To accommodate brand growth the company has expanded its design studio two times over the last two years and has hired more employees in production to meet all bridal and evening orders. The brand maintains the importance of focusing on customizations and being able to be produced in the U.S., Nouri says, this makes a huge difference. “We control our entire production process and can also deliver dresses that require fast rushes.”
After just two years, the brand will move its flagship salon to a larger location this year.
“It is incredible how in such a short time my gowns have sold to so many brides and moms,” said Nouri. “With each bridal and evening collection, the flagship salon keeps getting smaller and that is why this year it is time to move to a new flagship location which is triple the size of the current salon. This growth has also been going on at my design studio as I have had to expand three times in the past two years to accommodate for the growth of my company.”
This season at New York Bridal Week, Sareh Nouri will present the Something Blue collection, which will share a new take on a favorite inspiration – touches of blue. “The idea of something blue for a wedding is truly a tradition that I find that ties in beautifully with my clean gowns,” said Nouri. “That is why you will see touches of blue throughout the accessories.”
A highlight of the collection this season is the Hydrangea gown, created with a printed duchess satin with a blue floral print. Nouri told Fairchild Studio it is “one of the most avant-garde dresses” she has ever designed.
As she gets ready to present her new collection, Nouri builds on her appreciation for all of the brides and all of the moms that have worn her gowns for some of the most memorable and special moments of their lives. “I am really thankful for the 10 years I have had in business, and I am looking forward to what the next decade will bring for me.”