06 Mar International Women’s Day: Meet the Merchandising Team
These women know bridal
It’s day 3 of what we are calling International Women’s Week! You’ve met our Digital and Social Media teams, today we are talking product! What would we be without the inspiring women who bring bridal dreams to life? From the on-trend gowns to accessories that make the look, our merchants bring our product from sketches, to our stores, to the aisle. Keep reading to meet members of our Merchandising team.
Lori, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Product Development and Design
Lori, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Product Development and Design
What is your favorite part about working at David’s Bridal? Working with such a fierce team of smart and kind women.
Is there a coworker who has helped you reach an important goal? My prior manager and mentor, Catalina was unbelievably supportive of my growth and development. She always found ways to foster my learning, which ultimately helped land me my dream job. I am so grateful for the active interest she had in my success.
What makes you feel confident? Taking a second to reflect back on my journey, truly appreciating where I started and how far I’ve come. To be a cheerleader for your own growth is an important part of feeling confident.
As a busy working woman, how do you take care of yourself? Juggling my executive role along with being a mom to two girls is no easy task. For me its all about balance – intentionally carving out time for the things I treasure most. Its so incredibly important to fit “me time” into the list of priorities, whether its getting to a yoga class, going for a run, listening to a meditation, or enjoying a (big) glass of Sav Blanc.
What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? Always ask questions. Never stop learning.
What are you seeing in the world, specifically pertaining to women and girls, that gives you hope? The courage and strength of the supporters of the #metoo movement give me so much hope and inspiration for my two young girls. By using their voices for good, they are inspiring real, tangible change.
What’s your favorite current bridal trend? Off the shoulder everything! Its such an ultra feminine neckline that flatters absolutely everyone.
Heather, Divisional Merchandise Manager of Bridal, Flower Girl & Outerwear
Heather, Divisional Merchandise Manager of Bridal, Flower Girl & Outerwear
What is your favorite part about working at David’s Bridal? I love being part of one of the most special and momentous occasions in a woman’s life. It’s a joyful celebration that leaves a lasting memory; that’s a powerful motivator to work to do my part to ensure that every bride that comes into David’s has an amazing experience and ultimately finds “The One.” We get to be part of a love story and what could be more exciting or inspiring than that!
Is there a coworker who has helped you reach an important goal? My boss, Lori, has played an instrumental role in my advancement within David’s. She has been a great collaborator and mentor, encouraging yet challenging me to push beyond my comfort level to reach my full potential most recently in my promotion to DMM.
What makes you feel confident? Passion coupled with knowledge is very empowering to me!
As a busy working woman, how do you take care of yourself? After 20 years in retail I’m still working to find a better balance but I do enjoy hiking, biking and yoga as a way to re-center myself and relieve stress. I also just recently created a meditation space in my home to start practicing daily meditations. And lastly, as a self proclaimed beauty product junkie I love doing face and eye masks every weekend to nourish my skin.
What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? Recognize when something is not right for you and don’t allow fear of the unknown to hold you back from moving forward.
What are you seeing in the world, specifically pertaining to women and girls, that gives you hope? Within society we are in the midst of a body positive movement – changing the dialogue about how women’s bodies are viewed and what is considered the norm – it’s about being empowered to showcase your body the way you want and feel most comfortable. That’s a really powerful message and I believe will go a long way in shaping much healthier self worth and self acceptance in young women.
What’s your favorite current bridal trend? Its hard to pick just one but I would say the After Party or Second Dress trend because what girl doesn’t like a reason for multiple wardrobe changes!!!
Cassie, Associate Buyer of Jewelry & Sashes
Cassie, Associate Buyer of Jewelry & Sashes
What is your favorite part about working at David’s Bridal? Being surrounded by beautiful product and the hard working people that are just as passionate about it as I am. Finally! A job where being a shopaholic comes in handy!!
Is there a coworker who has helped you reach an important goal? Ericka (Associate Buyer, Designer Bridal) has been an exemplar and mentor to me since my first day at David’s. During my time on the bridal team she was approachable, kind, and acted as both my confidant and cheerleader. Since transitioning to the accessories team, she has not wavered in still being those things to me. She is both an asset and role model.
What makes you feel confident? A great pair of heels! I tend to dress pretty “vanilla”… lots of black and neutrals but I love giving my outfit a nice pop with a shoe that sports a funky print, a bright color, or a cool embellishment. Also, being just shy of 5’0, they quite literally give me a “boost” of confidence.
As a busy working woman, how do you take care of yourself? I take care of myself by really listening to what I need but also what I want. Some days, that means sleeping in and not changing out of my pajamas and eating chips for dinner. Other days, it means attacking the day as soon as I wake up. I clean, exercise, cook delicious meals, and pamper myself. It’s all about balance. If you starve yourself of what you love, you won’t have motivation to do what you need. My favorite ways to practice self care are face masks and phone-less time with my family. I prioritize my self-care two different ways (and both will sound opposing). 1) I look ahead at the month/week and carve out/plan when I will take care of myself. 2) I make myself be okay with things not going as planned sometimes. If I have a big crazy day of errands ahead of me but my sister asks if I want to do face masks and watch a movie we’ve seen 100 times… I let my errands get done another time. Also! I always, always, always put on eye cream and night and sunscreen in the morning! You’ll regret it later if you don’t do it now!
What one piece of advice would you give your younger self? To be aware of what you feel your short comings are and your insecurities and to work on them, of course but do. not. dwell. on. them. No one is as focused on them as you are! Give yourself a break. Also, don’t major in accounting. You hate it.
What are you seeing in the world, specifically pertaining to women and girls, that gives you hope? I love seeing young, liberated girls who know the world truly is theirs for the taking and they’re not afraid to take it. Nothing makes me happier than when my nieces tell me what they want to be when they grow up with absolute certainty that if they want it and work hard, they’ll get it.
What’s your favorite current bridal trend? I love the high neck trend! I even wore a high neck David’s dress to my own wedding this past October!
