We were lucky to catch up with Kyan Pirouz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kyan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk-taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

For over 30 years Homa Bridal was based near New York City. During the pandemic, we moved the design studio to Los Angeles and at the same time started construction on our adjacent Flagship showroom. Instead of consolidating the brand as the virus spread, I took a risk not only diversifying our business model to direct-to-consumer but also changing the geographic location of our operations. Many bridal wear businesses either retreated or shuttered because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We analyzed various geographic markets and saw a unique opportunity to launch our Flagship showroom and production in Los Angeles in the summer of 2020. Building a design studio and showroom in a new market was incredibly challenging as the pandemic worsened. We believe the outlook for our business is healthy and the brand is positioned for diversified growth with our new strategies.

Kyan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Homa Bridal is a luxury design house focused on the production of couture wedding veils and artisanal accessories. The house was founded in 1987 in the New York area by my mother, Homa Barghi, a unique and inspiring woman who was driven by her artistic soul. Raised in a family of talented artisans in Iran and trained professionally in the United Kingdom, Barghi shaped a brand philosophy of producing high-quality and luxurious bridal wear accessories involving meticulous production methods. Barghi launched her namesake collection at Barney’s New York. As the brand evolved, it would become available in Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and other exclusive international department stores along with gaining press attention in the United States and abroad from the likes of Vogue, New York Times and InStyle Magazine. Continuing her legacy, I began my training in bridal wear at the age of 23 under my family’s tutelage. After graduating from New York University, I immersed myself in learning the art of cutting and sewing fabric. In 2014, I introduced my first collection as Creative Director of Homa Bridal. Since assuming this role, we continue to grow the brand and have established partnerships with upscale department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom in the United States, Hudson’s Bay in Canada and TSUM in Russia. Today, the collection is available in points of sale around the world including in New York, Los Angeles, London, Moscow and Tokyo. The design house is considered one of the leading bridal wear labels internationally.

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

In the current textiles market a mix of high-quality and low-quality fabrics are available with very similar motifs. One of the foremost missions of our design house is only using the finest materials sourced around the world. Moreover, a critical aspect of our brand heritage is continuously understanding advancements in technologies, introducing innovative techniques while in parallel honoring traditional production methods dating back to the 1800s. This careful attention we dedicate to the past and future of bridal fashion has shaped our brand’s influence on the luxury bridal wear industry for more than 30 years. We genuinely interpret each veil like a canvas which is being painted on. The exquisite details and craftsmanship that are involved in making each piece ultimately distinguishes our collection.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The bridal wear industry was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Nearly 18 months of restrictions forced many brides to either postpone their weddings or opt for intimate ceremonies. Approximately 65 percent of engaged couples had to postpone their weddings in 2020 due to the pandemic and about 20 percent of weddings planned for 2021 were postponed to 2022. As the virus continued to spread, big-box department stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom exited the bridal wear business indefinitely. From 1987 until the pandemic started, our business model was focused on wholesale distribution. In the height of the pandemic, we decided to start construction on our Flagship showroom in Los Angeles. Simultaneously, I launched an e-commerce business for the brand to capitalize on the growing online market. Recognizing the impact Covid-19 had on multi-brand stores we understood the importance of pivoting to direct-to-consumer in addition to growing the wholesale segment.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homabridal/
• Website: https://www.homabridal.com/