4 years White Concepts – Happy Birthday!
This week we are looking back on 4 years of WHITE CONCEPTS – Bridal Showroom. What are the highlights that are still on our minds? What was our biggest challenge and what is planned for 2022? Today our founder Sarah shares her personal review:
I still remember the restless night I had before our opening on the 5th of August 2017. I was incredibly excited and tense. A 1000 thoughts were on my mind: What if no bride would ever find a dress in my store? Did you choose enough dresses, the right labels? Can you handle all of this on your own? Is this going to be your financial ruin? Are you well prepared? It’s not all perfect yet, should I really open now? OMG it’s really happening!!! It’s not a dream!!!
In the beginning Kristina Hoefler was by my side and soon we celebrated small successes in our little rooms in Aachen – Kristina with her unique workshops and beautiful bespoke designs and I was euphoric people were really enjoying my concepts store.
All you amazing women are my motivation
In the past four years hundreds of brides found their wedding dress in our showroom. I will remember my first bride Luisa forever – she got married in a beautiful, elegant, timeless Jumpsuit. My personal highlight are all the strong, confident women with all their unique facettes that I got to meet over the past years. I feel a great deal of joy and gratitude to be able to make these brides happy with my passion – bridal. I appreciate to be a small part of such an intimate event in their lives. Every woman who stepped into my store over the years is so beautiful in her own way and every story touches me deeply. From time to time I meet past brides by chance and we have a little chat – I am always compelled to hear how their lives have evolved since getting married – wether children have made their happiness complete, a year abroad, their own home or a business endeavor – I love to stay in touch.
London, Paris, New York
I was able to take on extremely exciting trips to bridal fairs: Berlin, London, Paris, Barcelona, New York. After every trip I am so inspired by all the impressions. Meeting Labels, Designers and Colleagues gives me so much energy, Inspiration and courage. It’s such a pleasure to meet people full of creativity and aesthetics. I love making new acquaintances and bring the most beautiful wedding dresses from all over the world to Aachen and to our brides.Ilka & me can’t wait for those trips to be possible again, we miss the personal exchange and creative input so much.
When life gives you lemons…
Of course there were also moments of doubt and lessons to be learned. We had to accept that we had spent a lot of money on a label that did not meet our expectations and did not resonate well with our customers. There were brides who were unhappy, emotional reactions and even personal attacks. We took on new team members and the connection just wasn’t there. We learned competitors could be nasty and unfair. An immense personal challenge for me personally is the daily struggle between being a parent and being selfemployed. It sometimes drives me mad to feel like I am not doing either enough justice. That on top of an ongoing global pandemic – CHEERS!!!
Luckily I never had to face those downs on my own – especially my husband has always had his way of pulling me out of a crisis and make everything relative. I want to stress all the wonderful friendship with other people in the industry that sparked from cooperations such as styled shoots. We needed to remind each other during those last 1,5 years that things will eventually get better again. I am so grateful for my very best store manager Ilka – she has done an amazing job for the past 2 years and held all the ropes together which has not always been easy. I count myself lucky to have her by mit side and be able to trust her completely. We continue to grow and learn together, always finding a solution, whatever the pandemic might throw at us!
