You may have noticed...
You may have noticed from one of our social media posts or ads that we’re hosting a trunk show. I’m sure you’re also very curious as to what a trunk show is, how it works and why is it even called a trunk show !? We’re here to answer all of your questions and we promise they’re not as scary as they sound..
What is a trunk show?
A trunk show is our way of bringing our unique bridal brand to you. We are an Adelaide-based bridalwear company that serves brides Australia-wide. We do this by hosting ‘trunk shows’, where we literally pack our samples and gear into a suitcase, travel to you and set up in a private apartment or hotel to offer you the same unique bridal experience as our Adelaide brides.
We are somewhat an in-between of a bridal store and a custom make dressmaker. ALL of our wedding gowns are handmade in our Adelaide studio but we do things a little differently by having samples and ARA Modulars (see below) for you to try on.
What are ARA Modulars?
ARA Modulars are unique to us and us only. They are plain tops and bottoms that can be mixed and matched to form a wedding dress or jumpsuit. Modulars are often used when brides are looking for a space to visualise their unique wedding dress design on their body. Modulars are also perfect for brides who are wanting to mix and match different elements from different dresses that they’ve tried on. This GIF below explains our ARA Modulars perfectly!
What should I expect?
You should expect nothing less than an inclusive, exciting and very fun 90-minute long appointment with us! Our trunk shows run exactly the same as our appointments in Adelaide, the only difference is location.
You can read and watch more about our process here. We’ve also included a summary below for your convenience.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
Visit us at our trunk show location and try on as many dresses as your heart desires. Let’s work together with our designer, Penny, to build your dream dress during this appointment using our ARA Modulars. Once finalised, let’s get you measured so we are all ready to make your calico dress.
CALICO FITTING
We’ll contact you with our next available dates in your city to book you in for your calico fitting. Let’s fit you into your calico dress and finalise your fabrics. This will be your first fitting to make sure everything feels and fits well.
SECOND FITTING
This is the most exciting appointment of the entire process. You will finally get the chance to see your dream dress come to life on your body. We will make note of any necessary adjustments, ready for your final fitting before your wedding day!
FINALLY
Get your friends and family together and let’s pop the champagne to celebrate during your final fitting. This will be our last appointment together and you will be able to take your beautiful ARA wedding outfit home with you. If major adjustments are necessary, we will complete this in our Adelaide studio and ship the dress to you instead. There will normally be a delivery charge of no more than $100.
What’s the difference between visiting your Adelaide studio and attending one of your trunk shows?
Honestly, besides the location, not much! The main differences are these: location, sample availability and risk of border closure (read more below).
We have a standalone studio and showroom here in Adelaide, we’re located on beautiful Gilles Street with an official business address. For all trunk shows that are held interstate, we will be hosting them at Airbnbs (with permission from owner) or private apartments or hotel suites. We have chosen to do so to emulate the private one-on-one experience that our Adelaide brides receive. The service we offer from there is exactly the same as what you would receive in our Adelaide studio.
As we will be travelling with suitcases, we have limited space available and will not be able to bring all of our samples. Our advice is to look through our collection and let us know if there is a particular dress you would like to try on during your appointment. Nevertheless, we will be bring ALL of our ARA Modulars with us, so we will be able to build any dress for you anyway.
As COVID is still looming around, there is a small risk that SA borders may close to other states in Australia. With the way this pandemic is going, we are hopeful that this is the beginning of the end and border closures are a thing of the past. However, in the situation where this does happen, we will be conducting our fittings by sending you your dress and having our appointment via Zoom instead. We have done this successfully for many of our interstate brides during the year of 2020 and 2021, so there is no need to worry. Of course, having in-person fittings are much better with the expertise of a trained seamstress onboard.
Will any of my fittings be virtual (e.g. Zoom)?
Not unless this is what you want. We GUARANTEE that all fittings will be done in-person by Penny to ensure a perfect fit. Think of Penny as your ‘wedding dress planner’, she is the person who will be translating all communications onto our production team to ensure everything is what you asked for.
Please note that is SA shuts its borders to any state in Australia, we won’t be able to travel to you and will have to have our appointment via Zoom instead. At this point, the situation will be out of our hands but we will be doing our best by covering additional alterations (to be organised yourself) for the perfect fit.
Do I need to say ‘yes’?
We do not pressure our brides at all. At the end of the appointment, you will be given a sketch, fabric swatches, and a quote. Feel free to take your time to make a decision but please note that there might be a time limit on any promotional discounts.
What happens if I need a follow up appointment?
Great question! Over 30% of our brides come back for a follow up appointment before saying YES to their dress. We will most likely be in your city for a few more days so please contact us ASAP before we head back to Adelaide. If the timeline is too short, then have confidence that we will be back in your city within the next 3 months so please contact us as soon as you can to be notified! We can also chat over Zoom or mobile if you have any questions that don’t require you to try anything on.
How long before my wedding should I get the process started?
We require at least 6-8 months to create your wedding dress, so anywhere between 6-12 months is perfect.
If your wedding is less than 6 months away, please contact us ASAP to see what we can do for you. In addition to this, don’t forget that we’re only a flight away to Adelaide if you find yourself in an urgent situation.
It is always best to contact us using one of the methods below to see what we can do for you.
When is your next trunk show?
Head over to this page to see when we’ll be visiting your city next!