My mother and I attended this bridal trunk show at The Phoenician in Scottsdale Arizona, expecting…read morethe elegant, high-end experience we had been promised. We were told it would take place in a grand ballroom at a resort we know well and frequently visit for golf. Instead, there was no one to greet us, no visible signage, and even the hotel staff had no idea what trunk show we were referring to. After searching for the correct location, we arrived and waited until more than ten minutes past our scheduled appointment before our point of contact, Adam, finally appeared and said they needed additional time because they were still with another bride.
When we were eventually brought inside, the so-called "bridal suite" was a basic conference room filled with dresses. There was only one inexpensive-looking full-length mirror, along with an unstable, worn navy pedestal that did not feel safe or appropriate for trying on luxury wedding gowns. The changing area was a cramped, storage-like room with no mirror and barely enough space for the large dresses or the assistant helping me. It made the fitting unnecessarily awkward and uncomfortable.
The gowns were never properly fitted or clamped to my body. At one point, Adam simply held a dress against me while asking what I thought. Even worse, he repeatedly stood directly in front of the only mirror, preventing me from seeing myself in the gowns I was supposedly there to consider purchasing.
His attitude was dismissive and insulting throughout the appointment. While looking at me with his hand over his mouth, he said, "I'm not getting anything from you." When I explained that I simply wanted to try on a wedding dress and feel beautiful, he responded, "You're not going to try on a dress and feel tingly." Isn't that exactly why many brides attend a trunk show--to experience the excitement of possibly finding their wedding dress?
He also told me that I might need to try on 100 dresses and suggested that perhaps I "wasn't a designer bride." That comment was especially condescending. My mother and I have spent my entire life around high-end interior design, textiles, and luxury materials. We understand quality, and the gowns we were shown did not look or feel consistent with the luxury image being sold. Several appeared worn, poorly maintained, and improperly presented.
Adam's overall presentation was also noticeably disheveled and not what I would expect from someone representing a high-end bridal designer. Because bridal fittings require close physical interaction, the noticeable odor of his breath made an already uncomfortable experience even more unpleasant.
We arrived excited and genuinely interested in seeing these gowns. We left feeling insulted, uncomfortable, and desperate to get out of the room. My mother sensed almost immediately that something was wrong, and she was correct. What was advertised as a luxury bridal trunk show at The Phoenician became a disorganized and deeply disappointing experience.
A bridal appointment should make a woman feel comfortable, celebrated, and beautiful--especially when a company is presenting itself as a luxury designer. This experience accomplished the exact opposite. I would never recommend this designer, these gowns, or an appointment with Adam to another bride.
