Meet Whitney Stephenson of Mahogany Brown Bridal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Stephenson.

Hi Whitney, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Mahogany Brown Bridal was brought to existence through my clothing brand Lee Jerome By Whitney Stephenson. I was asked by a bridal shop to make a gown that they could showcase to their clients to purchase. I originally told them it would take me three months to finish.

Unfortunately, it took me around six months to complete. During the completion process, I did keep the bridal shop up to date with the dress. I had started over on the dress three times because I wanted it to be perfect, this was my first store location opportunity. Well once the gown was completed, I reached out to the bridal shop and never got a response back.

So now I had this bridal gown and needed to figure out what I was going to do with it. After speaking with my husband I came up with the idea of making bridal wear. Then came the idea of opening a bridal shop that caters to minority designers because we are not represented in the industry.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road! I have hit bumps just as any other new business. Trying to work through the pandemic and get inventory from the designers has been a little bit of a struggle.

All designers require six to nine months for turnaround and receiving the products. I still work my 9-5 position as a government employee so my days are full between both positions. Get off work to go to work. I have not gone to a bank to get loans so all monies have been from my 9-5 and a couple of grants that I was awarded.

Because of the funding, I have to order gowns from one designer at a time. These are luxury gowns and they can be a little pricey.

We’ve been impressed with Mahogany Brown Bridal, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
“Where Melanin and Marriage Unite”

Mahogany Brown Bridal is a luxury bridal boutique specializing in retailing minority-designed bridal gowns located in Historic Downtown Concord, North Carolina. We are a unique supplement to existing bridal boutiques in the area because we feature Minority designers from around the world.

The current list of designers is elleNelle Bridal (TN), KEO Bridal (MD), Pantora Bridal (NYC), Kosibah (NYC), Cynthia Grafton-Holt (London), Odylyne The Ceremony (CA), Amsale (NYC), Valentine Avoh (Brussels), Lee Jerome (NC) and Yumi Katsura (NYC). Aside from the bridal gowns, Mahogany Brown Bridal will also offer alterations, bridal accessories, and custom-made bridal gown services.

Our gown price points start at $2,000 and prices vary depending on the designer and their collection. We recommend all brides start the purchase process of their dress a minimum of 6-8 months before their wedding date. Rush delivery can sometimes be accommodated depending on the designer.

Appointments are required. Our goal is to provide an exceptional shopping experience with 90-minutes of dedicated one-on-one time with a bridal specialist while introducing and bringing awareness to minority designers in the bridal market.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Being positive and creating a friendly environment.

These are crucial to the success of Mahogany Brown Bridal. When you are positive it creates a friendly and welcoming environment.

Clients and customers will want to visit and tell others about the service you offer. Which in turn creates more business. We believe in providing a relaxing, friendly, and stress-free experience to all our brides.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://mahoganybrownbridal.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahoganybrownbridal/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MahoganyBrownBridal
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MahoganyBB
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkffJ4wYl8YbvoPiMDkCi8g
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mahogany-brown-bridal-concord

Image Credits
elleNelle Bridal, Pantora Bridal, KEO Bridal, and Odylyne The Ceremony