Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alyssa Dahl. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alyssa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

I wish I would of started sooner. The thing is I did start sooner, but even though I was designing in the fashion industry, bridal is it’s own world. I was a senior designer by the time I wanted to switch into bridal, and so that was tough. To have done the time of working my way up the ladder for years already, it’s hard to go into something starting from scratch again, especially when you are older. I do strongly believe that everything happens the way it should though, otherwise I would of never met my husband in this transition from fashion to bridal. And making my own wedding dress is what ultimately decided where I was going to take my career. So it all ended up working out:)

Alyssa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started out as a fashion designer in the young contemporary market. I did private label where I sold my designs to big companies and my designs would go under their labels, and I also designed for brands. Not only was I just designing and developing clothing, I also was taking on tasks such as making my own graphics, designing prints for fabrics, going on sales meetings with buyers, etc. By wearing so many different hats I developed a skill set that you typically wouldn’t get from just working in a corporate structure. I worked with small businesses to big corporations where I learned what I did and did not like, and where I would want to take my career. I was the first one in to work, the last one out. The fashion industry is very tough, I was overworked and underpaid. I want to inspire, to bring meaning and purpose.

It started by my sister asking me to design her wedding dress. It is such an incredible honor to contribute to someone’s most important day of their lives. A feeling I couldn’t shake, and that’s when I knew this is what I was meant to do.
While shopping for my own wedding dress in 2018, I felt a void in the bridal market. I loved the intricate details and quality of the couture designers but couldn’t afford the price tag. I felt the designers within my budget lacked detail and craftsmanship. I always felt like I was in between and wanted something different. So I decided to make my own wedding dress.
While sewing my dress piece by piece. I put it back on my dress form and stared at it as I began to sob. I couldn’t believe I could create something so beautiful and that was the first time I’ve ever really felt proud of myself entirely. That I made this, and I can do this, I just have to keep believing in myself. After making my own wedding dress I realized this was my niche.

I design for the unconventional bride who wants to express her own individuality, rather than follow traditions. I specialize in unique designs, high-quality fabrics, and couture detailing at a more approachable price point. Every design is committed to quality and acting in a daring and feminine way.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Yes, I had designed different laces and they were in development for an extremely long amount of time. It came down to the point where it was going to be too late for me to even make my gowns for the deadline. I was given lemons and I could either sit there and let this potentially hurt my career or make lemonade. So I ended up having to refocus on what I could get done in that short amount of time. It was so incredibly challenging, and I wasn’t going to let anyone bring me down. So I put all my energy into fully making a lace from scratch, hand making all the flowers, and hand beading. The dress turned out absolutely beautiful though. To see everyone’s reaction to it, knowing everything I just went through to get it done was worth it.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Quality. I am often told my quality is like that of the very high end couture designers, whose gowns range from $8-20k. My dresses retail from $4-6k. People are constantly impressed with the high quality and the attention to detail I put into every gown.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dahlcollection.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/dahlcollection
• Facebook: facebook.com/dahlcollection
• Other: Pinterest: pinterest.com/DahlCollection

Image Credits
Forest & Beach Photos: Shiloe Noelle Photography