The Mews Bridal Boutique Launches in NYC

Little over a few years ago, we were hard pressed to find a bridal boutique we felt compelled to promote, or would truthfully shop from ourselves. The dire options available in the industry’s largest cities were filled with the kind of dresses we created The LANE to avoid. Boutiques that reveled in awkward traditions (standing on a pedestal in voluminous tulle gowns, white gloves to browse through dresses and pretentious saleswomen). Bridal cliches that made women like ourselves view the entire experience of a bride as being something separate from ourselves.

Thankfully the stigmas attached to bridal have begun to dissolve, and a new wave of boutiques have surfaced with a plethora of options to suit every little niche in bridal. For us, one of the biggest pioneering brands in this shift has been The Mews. When we think about the kind of brides we are, The Mews are so akin to the type of boutique we’d dream up ourselves (or wish we did!). They get it, completely. They always have. They’re complete professionals who intrinsically understand the aesthetic brides are craving, and they’re fast to fill the gaps. And never has this been more evident than in the launch of their latest project, The Mews New York City.

Long before our first visit to New York City ourselves, we envisioned bridal boutiques spilling with chic edits of gowns that mirrored the standard we see in the city’s Ready to Wear stores. And for years we were shocked to learn that wasn’t the case. Women who wanted something a little less traditional and structured had to travel across the country or to Europe to find stockists of the labels they loved. Experiencing this first hand after a few visits to NY Bridal Week and a (completely booked out) pop up store to test the waters later, and the UK girls from The Mews jumped on the opportunity to put their incredible edit in front of New York brides. And for a boutique that launched little over 2 months ago, booked out every weekend already until March, the response speaks for itself.

On a wintry New York City day a few weeks ago, we visited the new Chelsea space. One of the most breathtaking lofts we’ve seen, and the perfect immersion of a New York City space filled with character and soul, with the elegance of the French edit The Mews are famous for. Housed in an old theatre space spilling with light through a glass ceiling, giant arched windows and timeworn wooden floors, converted into what feels like the oversized dressing room of our dreams and the studio space we wish we’d stumbled upon for ourselves! All gowns aside, the divine loft itself warrants a visit of its own.

Dividing up the dreamy all white space are racks upon racks of French designer gowns; an edit exclusive to The Mews. They’ve carefully curated a selection of gowns that cover every aspect of the niche they so perfectly cater for. Rime Arodaky for the wild hearted brides who want elegance with an edge, Donatelle Godart for the free spirited romantics with poetic, billowing fabrics, Delphine Manivet for a modern take on nostalgic silhouettes. There’s something so beautifully diverse about the French designs they offer, yet the thread of commonality so clearly evident when experiencing each exquisite piece up close and touching the fabrics in person, lies in the quality. The French have an unparalleled attention to detail – a standard of work they completely set for themselves. It’s as if the commercial success of their work is an after thought, every intricate detail is executed with a precision and passion that reflects everything they stand for. But besides the quality, what draws The Mews girls to French designers is the way they marry elegance with ease. Classicism with nonchalance. It’s a juxtaposition they execute in a way no one else can, and a balance that’s allowed The Mews to carve out such a well defined niche in the market.

When asked what lies behind their decision to exclusively stock French designers, co-owner Lauren strongly believes in the importance of finding a gown that reflects who you are today, yet still feels timeless. A dress that you’ll be proud to pass down one day. And we couldn’t agree more. We’ve watched the industry morph from one of stagnant traditions that in no way resemble who we are as women, to at times a crazy experimental space of gowns that just like a lot of fast fashion today, will date within years…or at times, months. French bridal designers seem to have found that middle ground. And it’s this middle ground, a beautiful balance of tradition and modernism, that The Mews execute to perfection in every facet of their brand. Their New York boutique epitomizes everything we love about The Mews brand, filled with a refreshing edit of designer labels that New York brides have been waiting for.

To book your one on one consultation and see their beautiful French designer edit, head over to The Mews Website.

Photography / Unique Lapin Photography