10 Questions with Owner of Chic Parisien Catherine Fox Milian
1) PLEASE GIVE US A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHIC PARISIEN SALON.
OUR FAMILY-OWNED BRIDAL BOUTIQUE FIRST OPENED ITS DOORS IN THE HEART OF CORAL GABLES MORE THAN 45 YEARS AGO. TODAY, CHIC PARISIEN BOASTS ONE OF THE FINEST AND LARGEST COLLECTIONS OF WEDDING AND EVENING GOWNS IN THE COUNTRY. THE BOUTIQUE’S FOOTPRINT EXTENDS INTO EUROPE, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, AS WELL AS MUCH OF THE UNITED STATES. OUR CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH MAJOR DESIGN HOUSES IN LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, MIAMI, PARIS, MILAN, MADRID AND ISRAEL ALLOWS US TO SHOW CLIENTS THE LATEST AND MOST DESIRED GOWNS AND ACCESSORIES IN THE MARKET.
2) WHERE DO BRIDES TRAVEL FROM TO SHOP AT YOUR STORE?
BEING INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 4 DECADES, THE BOUTIQUE HAS DEVELOPED A STRONG INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING. WE ARE PROUD TO SERVE BRIDES FROM ACROSS THE U.S. AS WELL AS FROM A VARIETY OF COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. WITH MIAMI BEING A GATEWAY TO THE AMERICAS, WE HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR BOUTIQUES AMONG BRIDES FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
3) WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BRIDES ARE FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S.?
WHILE ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF OUR BRIDES HAIL FROM THE UNITED STATES, THE OTHER 50 PERCENT VISIT US FROM INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. SOME MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM AND THE BRIDAL EXPERTS ARE FLUENT IN SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE, AS WE DO SERVE A LARGE LATIN AMERICAN AND BRAZILIAN CLIENTELE.
4) WHO IS THE CHIC PARISIEN BRIDE?
THE CHIC PARISIEN BRIDE IS ELEGANT, SOPHISTICATED AND MODERN, BUT STILL CLASSIC AND STRONG. OUR BRIDES, AND WE SEE BRIDES THAT SPAN ALL AGE GROUPS, KNOW WHAT THEY WANT AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS THE BEST IN DESIGN, STYLE AND QUALITY. THEY FOLLOW THE TRENDS, YET STILL WANT TO LOOK TIMELESS ON THEIR BIG DAY.
5) DESCRIBE THE RANGE OF LOOKS THAT THE HISPANIC BRIDE GOES FOR?
OUR BRIDES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND OR NATIONALITY, SEEK THE LATEST STYLES FROM TODAY'S TOP DESIGNERS. OUR INTERNATIONAL BRIDES OFTEN CHOOSES A GOWN WITH A BIT MORE FLAIR - FOR EXAMPLE, SHE MAY SELECT A CLASSIC LACE GOWN, BUT IN A MERMAID SILHOUETTE.
6) DO YOUR BRIDES LIKE MORE FRILLY, SEXY, PRINCESS, OR SIMPLE GOWNS? OR IS IT JUST A MATTER OF INDIVIDUAL STYLE?
EVERY BRIDE HAS THEIR OWN STYLE. OUR EXPERT TEAM TAKES OUR BRIDE-TO-BE'S VISION AND TURNS THAT INTO A REALITY. TODAY, WE'RE SEEING THAT MANY OF OUR HISPANIC BRIDES LIKE TO PAIR A MORE MODERN STYLE GOWN WITH A TRADITIONAL LACE MANTILLA.
7) IS PRICE AN ISSUE? WHO USUALLY PAYS FOR THE DRESS?
PRICE RANGE FOR OUR GOWNS START AT $3,500 AND GO TO AS HIGH AS $20,000. I'M NOT SURE THERE IS A TYPICAL PRICE POINT IN TODAY'S WORLD. WE SEE THE PARENTS OF THE BRIDE PAYING FOR THE DRESS AS WELL AS THE BRIDE HERSELF. IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND MEXICO, THE GOWN IS TRADITIONALLY PAID FOR BY THE GROOM.
8) ANYTHING UNIQUE ABOUT A HISPANIC WEDDING? ANY UNIQUE CUSTOMS?
MANY OF OUR BRIDES HAVING A TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC WEDDING WEAR LACE MANTILLAS AND CARRY AN ORNATE ROSARY, WHICH IS OFTEN PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. WE ALSO SELL A LOT OF THE LAZO, A CROSS DRAPED OVER THE SHOULDERS OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM.
9) IF THE BRIDE TRAVELS FROM SOUTH AMERICA OR EUROPE TO PURCHASE A DRESS FROM YOU, DO THEY COME BACK FOR FITTINGS? HOW DOES THAT WORK?
WHEN WORKING WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL BRIDES, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF OPTIONS FROM WHICH SHE CAN CHOOSE:
- SHE CAN BUY A GOWN IN-STORE AND TAKE IT BACK WITH HER. WE KEEP A VARIETY OF GOWNS IN STOCK FOR OUR BRIDES WHO NEED TO GET THEIR DRESS RIGHT AWAY.
- WE HAVE MANY BRIDES WHO CHOOSE TO COME BACK FOR THEIR FITTINGS.
- WE REGULARLY SHIP GOWNS ACROSS THE GLOBE, SO WE CAN EASILY SEND THE GOWN TO THE BRIDE WHEN IT IS READY.
10) WHAT DESIGNERS ARE TRENDING NOW AT CHIC PARISIEN AND WHY?
OUR TOP SELLING BRANDS CURRENTLY INCLUDE MONIQUE LHUILLIER, BERTA AND INES DI SANTO. THESE THREE DESIGNERS SPEAK TO VERY DIFFERENT BRIDES. WITH MONIQUE LHUILLIER'S LATEST COLLECTION, SHE WENT BACK TO MORE TRADITIONAL STYLES WITH SOFTER SILHOUETTES. THE GOWNS FROM BERTA ARE SOUGHT AFTER BY EXTREMELY FASHION-FORWARD BRIDES LOOKING FOR SOMETHING UNCONVENTIONAL AND SEXY - WE HAVE BRIDES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE GLOBE WHO COME TO US SPECIFICALLY FOR A BERTA GOWN. THE LATEST COLLECTION BY INES DI SANTO OFFERS THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF CLASSIC, ULTRA-FEMININE DESIGNS WITH A MODERN TWIST AND EXCEPTIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP.