J. Crew Bridal Store Open & 769 Collection Launch

Hello-Hello and happy almost-weekend!

We jump right in to things today, starting with a look at the new J. Crew Bridal store.

John Aquino/WWD

Frequent readers are familiar with our tedious whining concerns about Crew’s ‘disdain’ for preppy, but we remain favorably impressed with the firm’s bridal line.

Crew is also launching a new line, the 769 Collection, available only in the new store. This collection will feature cocktail dresses and evening gowns, as well as tuxedo jackets and harem pants, according to the Women’s Wear Daily review of the store today. The story quotes Crew’s president, Tracy Gardner, on the store’s niche.

“… J. Crew bridal fills a price niche between David’s Bridal and Vera Wang, offering a range from $229 for a silk tricotine Sophia gown or $350 for a Duchess bow monde satin cocktail dress, to sequin gowns for $1,500, or $3,500 for a metallic Twenties-inspired tulle gown. “We’re not fancy here. We’re still J. Crew, but it’s an elevated experience,” Gardner said.

The Times also has a review of the new shop:

“… has cocktail dresses from the 769 Collection that are exclusive to the store (the one at left is $795) and jewelry pieces like Lulu Frost mesh necklaces with vintage pins and brooches attached (below, $695).” (Here are the images referenced in the Times story quote.)

Courtesy Images via NY Times

There appears to be a solid commitment to customer service, more from the WWD story:

“The receptionist in front of the store is the tip-off to the high-service environment of the store. It’s manned with four personal shoppers and six wedding specialists equipped with hand-held technology and Wi-Fi to quickly answer questions about products and locate items that may be elsewhere in the J. Crew’s multichannel distribution network. “

Shoppers will also find products from Cosabella, Leah C. veils, jewelry pieces from the firm’s collaboration with Miriam Haskell, and cosmetics from Bobbi Brown.

The store officially opens Tuesday with an appearance by Darcy Miller from Martha Stewart Weddings, so if in the city anywhere near Madison and 66th, pop in for a visit.

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In other news from J. Crew Group, merchandise from their Madewell brand is finally now available online; the e-commerce site for Madewell is up and running.

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Yesterday we talked about the single most-popular post here as we hit the one-million blog views milestone; we’ll merely say that post involved the Hamptons and Gossip Girl.  Imagine our surprise when checking WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, subscription required) this morning, seeing a sizable story titled “Summer in the Hamptons: Better, But No Boom“.

The piece looks at the recession’s impact on the area, focusing on the retail sector, noting the departure of one luxury retailer, Gucci. But there is a lengthy roster of store openings: Balenciaga, Chico’s, Juicy Couture, and many more.  One way to gauge expectations for summer? Traffic on the Jitney, which a spokesperson described in the story:

““2009 was our best year ever as far as passenger counts, and currently for 2010, we are already surpassing those numbers, month to month,”

Good news for Jitney riders, the posh Ambassador service is returning, complete with on-board movies.

If in that corner of the globe on Saturday, fans of Hamptons Cottages & Gardens can meet the magazine’s new Editor in Chief, Kendell Cronstom; there’s a little get-together at the Maidstone from 5-7pm.

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We have a few more Sales & Savings opportunities, beginning with an important note we forgot to mention in yesterday’s list of fiscally-friendly offerings:

• Select LL Bean Signature merchandise is 30% off.

• Also, Saks is doing their online-only Home and Gourmet sale. (It looks like some fab goodies from the Macbeth Collection are included.)

• And Neiman’s is promoting a special on Cole-Haan, 40% off select styles; this is also an online-only promotion and runs today (Thursday, 5/27) only, ending at midnight.

NeimanMarcus.com

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We leave you with a special Pretty in Pink today in keeping with our wedding chatter, a piece from the new Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaid collection.

On that lovely image we say g’bye until next time!