Designer's Rowayton Showroom is a Bridal Party

Once upon a time women secretly cringed when asked to be a bridesmaid, a role that typically involved shelling out at least $200 dollars or more for an unflattering dress they'd never wear again (and don't forget the dyed-to-match shoes). But bridal fashion designer Coren Moore is seeing more and more bridesmaids-to-be who are actually happy to visit her Rowayton showroom, "Brides and Maids."

“With our Connecticut customers we’ve seen more and more mothers-in-law, family members, friends, even fiancés getting involved,” she says.

Gone are the puffy hooped skirts and hideously ruffled gowns of yore. In their place are classically cut pieces in shapes designed to work with various body types, including maternity versions. No crinkly taffeta layers here - dresses are available in shantung, cotton sateen, and seersucker.

Coren believes her location is almost as appealing as her line, as brides and their entourages generally turn their shopping trips into excursions.

“They try on dresses, tour the surrounding neighborhood, have lunch at the River Cat Café - they make a day of it," she says. 

She understands the draw. Coren says she “fell in love" with the hidden coastal neighborhood when she and her husband and children moved from NYC to Darien over a year ago.

"One of my favorite things to do that first summer in Connecticut was have breakfast with my daughter sitting on the deck of the Rowayton Market," says Coren. "The pace of life here was exactly what my husband and I hoped to give our children – the experience of riding bikes in the street, going to the beach, lobster rolls and ice cream for lunch.  I felt so fortunate to find this, all within an hour of NYC.

“When I decided to open a showroom and work space closer to home, Rowayton came to mind as a place where I would want to go to work every day.  I figured if I liked coming here, it could also be fun for a bride and her mother or bridesmaids.”

Sounds like she figured right.

To make an appointment with Coren, call 917-254-3736.

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