We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lily Rivera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Everyone has a particular dream career or business idea they would love to fulfill but not everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to get there. I’ve had the particular dream that is now my day to day. For many years I day dreamed about it but never had the courage to take the plunge in running my own bridal business. Better yet, manufacture.
I have been on this journey for about 20 years but only became laser focused since 2020. I had recently lost my store location due to a business partnership ending and started working out of my garage. During that time, I was selected to participate in New York Fashion Week. This was another dream I never imagined fulfilling. I created my best work ever and presented in February 2020, exactly when the first case of Covid was reported in NY. I came back to cancelled appointments and made ends meet making facemasks.
Around Summer, and in the middle of the pandemic I found the perfect new location for my store with the intention of also manufacturing and I took the plunge!
everyone thought I was crazy and I knew it was a huge risk. needless to say the grand opening weekend was a huge success and put those fears to rest.
I am now on my third year in my new location. I have been in numerous publications including Italy and UK and this year we are going to one of the biggest bridal markets in the US with the Lily Rivera brand. We also signed on a few bridal boutiques throughout the US as we transition into being the first wedding dress manufacturer in Southwest Florida.
Lily, 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?
I always had a passion for design and used to watch my Grandmother sew for neighborhood ladies in the little town I’m from Corozal, Puerto Rico. My favorite thing to do with her was go into town to shop for fabrics with her. I pursued a career in Fashion Design and studied in Bay State College in Boston. My love for anything Old Hollywood glam led me to specialize in bridal and evening gowns. Its been over 20 years of perfecting the craft and evolving as a designer and I hope my brides can see that in my collections. Everything is made to order and manufactured in my atelier located in Southwest Florida.
We are organically growing as more brides become familiar with the brand and most importantly our transparency as to where their dress is made.
I’m extremely proud of being able to say “this dress is made in the USA. With so many brands being produced overseas with cheap labor and sub par quality, I love to educate my brides and emphasize why selecting a Lily Rivera gown is special. its made like an heirloom piece without breaking the bank and they love that!
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
I recently started placing orders for our collection with stores across the country. I decided to sell direct to small boutiques. I posted about my unique collection in a bridal group in hopes to spark some interest. To my surprise, I received about a little over 100 inquiries! At that point it became clear to me that supply chain issues made my brand very appealing for them even at a higher price point than overseas.
I proceed to schedule appointments as a sales rep would. I basically took a huge gamble to rack up credit cards and book trips to visit these stores. It was a scary moment but if I didn’t take the plunge I’d never know if manufacturing was an option. The feedback was incredibly positive and all but one placed an order!
Taking risks is part of growing. It can be stressful and a bit scary but with good preparation you can mitigate potential losses.
As a result of this risk we are now in the process of fulfilling these orders and heading to our very first bridal market in March to gain more accounts in other states.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Earning a good reputation takes time and consistency no matter your product or service. There has been many times over the years where I have been challenged by someone where either they dont communicate what they want or something cost more to produce or more time than anticipated.
Those are the moments that can define the outcome of a sale that can ruin years of hard work building a reputation.
Sometimes its better to get through even if its not a profitable sale. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, making sure to maintain a good reputation and please that customer so he or she refers you to others is everything!
Im sure the passion for designing shows in the details of our dresses and also how we welcome our potential brides at our Atelier. Always making sure they feel special.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lilyriverabridal
- Instagram: @LILYRIVERABRIDAL
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilyriverabridal?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Photography Victoriaelaine Photography