How a bridal brand is leveraging in-store try-on to drive social media engagement

Now operating flagships in London, New York, Los Angeles and Miami, Galia Lahav has spent the past three years developing a content creator strategy that’s become central to both brand identity and business growth. These events began in New York in 2022 and have since evolved into high-touch activations that merge experiential retail, editorial content and social momentum.

“The bridal experience today is about emotion, not just fabric,” said Sharon Sever, head designer at Galia Lahav. “Brides don’t come to us just for a dress, they come to be seen, to be celebrated, to be part of something.”

The Mayfair event was the brand’s second in London and its largest yet in the U.K. With partners including Lancôme providing glam stations and stylists assisting with fittings, creators spent the day modeling dresses, learning about the collection and capturing their journey across TikTok and Instagram. The brands involved gained product placement in Galia Lahav’s marketing content while aligning with the brand’s luxury audience. According to the brand, over 70% of bridal inquiries now originate from social platforms, a number that has doubled since 2021.

Attending creators including Hope LaVine, who has 375,000 followers on TikTok, posted videos from the event which together saw 1.1 million views. The brand reposted 10 of the videos. All of the attending influencers had over 100,000 followers.

“These events aren’t about immediate conversion,” said the brand’s global PR manager, Yael Friedman. “They’re about planting seeds. Some of the girls who attend aren’t even engaged yet, but they’re already building an emotional connection with the brand.”

In April, the brand hosted a similar activation in New York during Bridal Fashion Week. That event resulted in a 50% increase in impressions across channels within 72 hours and a 38% spike in traffic to the “Try at Home” booking and new collection landing pages. Immediately following the May 6 London event, impressions rose by 20%, a significant gain in a market where Galia Lahav is still expanding its audience.

While Galia Lahav has a ready-to-wear line for bridal-adjacent occasions like rehearsal dinners and reception looks, the core of the business remains couture. Custom gowns range from $12,000-$50,000, depending on fabrication and personalization. Flagship appointments are booked months in advance and are often emotional from the start.

“When I meet a bride, I don’t care what’s on her Pinterest board,” said Sever. “I want to understand who she is. That’s how I design — by listening to her story, not copying her moodboard.”

Sever, who has worked with the brand for over 12 years, approaches each collection as a bridge between fantasy and functionality, she said. Signature silhouettes often include corsetry, deep backs and skin-skimming fabrics, many of which are finished with hand embroidery and custom beadwork. Every gown is made-to-order at the brand’s atelier, a model that both reduces waste and increases fit precision.

“Our gowns are not just beautiful, they’re engineered,” said Sever. “We want every woman, no matter her size or shape, to feel powerful the moment she puts one on.”

Galia Lahav’s retail model is rooted in personal connection. About 90% of sales are made through in-store appointments, with stylists guiding clients through fittings that can last hours. Some brides invite friends and family to celebrate the experience. Others book the brand’s new Haute Couture Party, a $2,500 private session that includes food, drinks and full boutique access. “It’s not just about trying on dresses,” said Friedman. “It’s about creating a memory.”

To meet growing demand for more sustainable options, Galia Lahav launched ReGalia in 2024, a resale platform that enables brides to authenticate and resell their gowns. Most pieces list between $4,000-$20,000. According to Sever, the resale trend only enhances the story behind each gown.

“There’s something deeply romantic about a dress living two lives,” he said. “We’ve had gowns cross continents and cultures. One bride turned her ballgown into a cocktail dress for her anniversary. Another passed hers down to her sister. It’s couture with a soul.”

UGC plays a major role in amplifying these stories. Galia Lahav’s in-house series, “My Bridal Diary,” follows brides through their fitting process. Bridal stylists frequently model looks on TikTok, and real clients are often reposted across the brand’s grid. Creators attending the May 6 event included fashion influencers, bridal stylists, and newly engaged brides, many of whom shared content before even leaving the store.

“We’re not doing stylized shoots or over-produced ads,” said Sever. “What works now is honesty. Our brides want to see the dress in motion, on real bodies, in real light.”

Despite luxury spending softening across categories, bridal remains resilient. The global wedding wear market, valued at $82.42 billion in 2024, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% through 2030, driven by rising disposable incomes, the popularity of destination and themed weddings, and increased demand for personalized, luxury wedding attire, according to Grand View Research. According to internal data, Galia Lahav has seen consistent growth year-over-year, with the U.S. and U.K. being its two strongest markets.

Longchamp’s new SoHo flagship reinforces U.S. market momentum

Longchamp is zeroing in on the U.S. as its highest-growth market, with its redesigned SoHo flagship acting as both a brand landmark and a strategic retail investment.

Unveiled on May 17 during NYCxDesign Week held May 15-21, the newly renovated space brings a more immersive and residential feel to the brand’s historic “La Maison Unique” location at 132 Spring Street. Designed once again by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the 9,000-square-foot store features a reimagined Energy Green staircase, curated vintage furniture and rotating art installations, all aimed at reinforcing the brand’s identity through experience-led retail.

“Our retail philosophy has shifted,” said CEO Jean Cassegrain in an interview with Glossy. “Online is great for convenience, but physical stores have to offer something deeper. This redesign is about creating a warm, human space that reflects our values.”

The SoHo store was originally designed by Heatherwick in 2006. Nearly two decades later, the decision to renovate came amid Longchamp’s continued global expansion and a sharpened focus on the U.S. market. According to Cassegrain, business in the U.S. and Canada is currently growing faster than in any other region, though the company declined to share specific store sales figures.

The redesign incorporates mid-century modern furniture and sculptures, with works by David Nash, Dorothée Loriquet and Bobby Silverman. It reflects a broader push by Longchamp to integrate art and design more visibly into the retail experience — something Cassegrain described as “a way to make the visit more personal and interesting.”

For Longchamp, physical retail continues to serve as a key brand-building and customer acquisition tool. “The store is the home of the brand,” said Cassegrain. “When customers walk in, they should immediately understand who we are.” E-commerce represents roughly 15–18% of the brand’s global sales,

The store layout has also been adapted to invite longer visits. A more open second floor brings in natural light and offers lounge seating designed to encourage browsing. According to Heatherwick, the aim was to create a space that felt more like a lived-in apartment than a showroom.

“We wanted it to feel like a place where people could linger,” said Heatherwick during a public talk in the store. “The idea was to encourage discovery, not just transactions.”

The SoHo location is also set to host more cultural programming, starting with a NYCxDesign panel featuring Cassegrain and Heatherwick. The store’s brick walls will display rotating works and installations tied to the brand’s creative collaborations.

Rather than expanding its store footprint in 2025, Longchamp plans to focus on elevating existing spaces, with Paris and Tokyo next in line for updates. “It’s not about having more stores,” said Cassegrain. “It’s about making the ones we have more meaningful.”

Fashion Trust Arabia designers land at Harrods

Harrods is upping its focus on emerging Middle Eastern fashion talent. The retailer is expanding its partnership on May 20 with Fashion Trust Arabia to bring four FTA Prize-winning brands to its Knightsbridge store and e-commerce platform in July. Fashion Trust Arabia is a non-profit organization that supports and funds emerging fashion designers from the Middle East and North Africa, offering them global visibility and industry mentorship.

The move matters. For a global retailer with Harrods’ cultural weight, backing designers from Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signals a meaningful shift in what luxury looks like and who gets to define it.

“This goes beyond retail,” said Tania Fares, co-chair of FTA. “It’s about giving our winners global visibility and sustainable growth.”

This year’s featured designers include Yasmin Mansour (avant-garde eveningwear), Nadine Mosallam (heritage-informed RTW), RAMLA (artisan accessories) and APOA (sculptural jewelry). All combine regional craft with international appeal.

The move comes as luxury brands reevaluate growth strategies amid cooling demand in China and the U.S. “The Middle East is becoming a real luxury growth engine,” said Scott Kerr, founder of Silver Tone Consulting. “It makes sense that retailers want deeper ties to the region and to its creative output.”

Alongside in-store placement, Harrods is supporting the designers through mentorship and merchandising guidance, part of a broader strategy to build long-term visibility for new voices in luxury.

Earnings

• On May 20, Chanel reported a 4.3% drop in 2024 revenue to $18.7 billion and a 30% decline in operating profit to $4.5 billion. Weak demand in China and a heavy investment of $1.8 billion in capex and 48 new stores outweighed growth in Japan and South Korea. CEO Leena Nair signaled that a quick turnaround is not expected. The brand’s new artistic director, Matthieu Blazy, will debut his first collection in October 2025.
• Richemont reported its full-year FY2025 earnings for the period ending March 31 on May 16. Its fourth quarter sales were €5.17 billion ($5.8 billion), up 7% year-over-year, driven by strong growth in its Jewellery Maisons. For the full fiscal year, Richemont posted record sales of €21.4 billion ($23.2 billion) and operating profit of €4.5 billion ($4.9 billion), down 7%, plus €8.3 billion ($9 billion) in net cash and a continued focus on long-term brand equity over short-term gains.
• In its third-quarter 2024 earrings reported on May 15, Mytheresa reported net sales of $233.9 million (up 17.6%) and adjusted EBITDA of $9.2 million (margin 3.9%, up from 1.6% YoY). Its U.S. business saw +41.6% GMV growth, and its top-customer spend hit new highs, driven by curated luxury-only assortments, exclusive capsule drops and record AOV of €692 ($747). Meanwhile, macro pressure in Asia, promo activity from existing competitors, and negative operating cash flow (-€11.6M / -$12.5M) tempered its FY guidance, tracking to the low end of its projected 8–13% growth and 3–5% EBITDA margin.

Executive moves

• Pierpaolo Piccioli will debut as Balenciaga’s new creative director in October following his July 10 start, bringing his romantic couture sensibility from Valentino to a house defined by Demna’s dystopian streetwear. Kering is betting on a softer, sculptural evolution to reignite its €2 billion ($2.2 billion) brand.
• As Gucci works to reverse its 25% revenue decline in the first quarter of 2025, new CEO Stefano Cantino is reshaping the leadership team. Maria Cristina Lomanto was promoted to president of EMEA, effective June 1, and Marcello Costa to chief merchandising officer. Meanwhile, recent hires from Valentino, Givenchy, Armani Beauty and LVMH signal a strategic rebuild to regain momentum for the €10 billion ($10.7 billion) brand.

News to know

• Miuccia Prada is doubling down on auteur cinema by introducing a €1.5 million ($1.6 million) annual film fund from Fondazione Prada this fall. It’s set to back 10–12 visionary films a year, cementing her 20-year mission to make movies fashion’s most enduring muse.
• Christoph von Weyhe, the German artist and devoted partner of Azzedine Alaïa for six decades, has died at 88, leaving behind a quiet but indelible legacy etched into the DNA of the Alaïa maison and its foundation.
• Post-Brexit, British luxury exports to the E.U. are 43% lower than they would have been, with fashion and accessories down 64% and home goods down 50%, costing the U.K. luxury sector $18.6 billion according to research from luxury trade organization Walpole. The sector supports 450,000 jobs and contributes $18.5 billion in taxes. Luxury trade organization Walpole urged trade barrier reforms ahead of the U.K.-E.U. summit held on May 19.
• Nordstrom shareholders approved the $6.3 billion deal to take the company private, with the Nordstrom family and Mexico’s Liverpool acquiring all outstanding shares at $24.25 each, a 42% premium. The move enables the retailer to focus on long-term investments and off-price growth, free from Wall Street pressure.

Listen in

On the Glossy Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, they’re discussing Burberry’s sweeping layoffs and the uncertain future of its Castleford trench coat factory, plus Saks Fifth Avenue’s streamlined vendor list, and the impact of the Cannes Film Festival’s stricter red carpet dress rules. Later in the episode, Zwieglinska is joined by Glossy managing editor Tatiana Pile to unpack the ever-growing importance of music festivals to the fashion and marketing industries. The episode also features designer Asher Levine, who created Lisa’s high-tech stage look for Coachella this year, and Revolve chief brand officer Raissa Gerona, who talks about influencer marketing and Revolvefest. Listen here.

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