Me with the owners of BADC, Teonna Ingram (left) and Bree Lara (right)
Last Saturday was the grand opening of new Lakeview boutique Borrow A Dress Couture. This innovative boutique is raising the bar for couture fashion by allowing shoppers to (gasp) rent it! Backed by an idea similar to Jennifer Hudson and her borrowed LV bowler in the SATC movie, Borrow A Dress Couture provides a current, of-the-moment selection of high-end labels that can be rented for days at a time. Summer wedding? Check. Graduation Party? No problem. Barbeque? Uh, maybe leave the couture at home for that one. But for every other special summer occasion, BADC has a standout look for you in a luxe cocktail dress or gown.
I had the pleasure of attending the opening event and perusing the racks for myself. What I found was a collection of labels that, when glancing at the retail price listed on the tags, I knew I would rarely, if ever, be able to afford. But that’s the joy of BADC-you get to skip the tag terror and gaze lovingly at the much more affordable rental price which will get you three blissful days with your dress of choice. And the hardest part by far was choosing a fantasy frock-though the selection was small enough not to be overwhelming. The bright colors and sparkly details of the dresses was enough to make me downright giddy!
After speaking with owners Teonna Ingram and Bree Lara, I discovered that the girls receive shipments of items every other week. When they receive new pieces they either include the fresh items into their inventory, or rotate the selection already on the floor. The high school friends turned business partners handpick their selection of dresses, buying directly from the designers and maintaining a seasonally current aesthetic. The couture designers they carry include Dolce & Gabbana, Vera Wang, Herve Leger, Alexander Mcqueen, Marchesa, Bagdley Mischka, and Mark Bouwer. The general range of retail price for the gowns they carry is about $300 to $4000. Having said that, the general range of the rental fee for the gowns they carry is between $35 and $400. As an added bonus, Ingram and Lara make sure to stock sizes 0-18 and carry maternity dresses as well-because everyone deserves to feel fabulous for less!
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A rack of designer cocktail dresses at BADC
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The designer gown rack at BADC
A guest of the party tried on a Oui Design Dress
A Herve Leger cocktail dress that retails for $1350; Rental Price: $300
Check out Borrow A Dress Couture, Now Open at 3221 N. Sheffield.
Visit their website for hours and collections at shopbadc.com
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