Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Davis.
Hi Hannah, 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 backstory with our readers?
January 2020 was my senior year of high school in Hinckley, Minnesota when I started taking action on my idea. Starting my own dress shop that has dresses available for rent as well as to purchase was an idea that struck me while I was trying to find my first prom dress 2 years prior. That year, I was on a tight budget and my prom date mentioned that he was able to rent his tux. I was hit with the realization that there isn’t the same option for girls like me, but I wanted to change that. Purchasing prom dresses can be very expensive, up to $700 or even more. Plus, most girls will only wear the dress once, and then it either sits in the back of their closet for years or they attempt to resell it for a fraction of what they bought it for.
Dresses Ever After was created to help provide a better dress shopping experience by giving our customers the option to either buy or rent their dresses while saving them money and being sustainable for the future. Back in January 2020, I started with 30 dresses that were a collection of my own and some that I had bought. Now, we have over 200 prom dresses ranging in size from 00-26 and we are currently getting more dress shipments every couple of weeks to get ready for the busy prom season.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Believe it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic was a blessing in disguise. Dresses Ever After started in January 2020 about 2 months before the pandemic hit our area and shut down this part of the world. Any dress rentals I had in place for prom that year were canceled and refunded. At the time, it was devastating to have a dream and work so hard to have it all come crashing down. Looking back on it now, the shutdown and cancelations were the reason I was able to grow as fast as I could. Due to proms across the country being canceled, many suppliers had a large number of prom dresses that weren’t being bought. They had large discounts that allowed me to grow my inventory quickly.
We’ve been impressed with Dresses Ever After, 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?
Dresses Ever After is a local dress shop that specializes in the opportunity for dresses to be rented. Renting a dress can save a person a lot of money, approximately $200, compared to purchasing a dress. Each dress rental is different in price, but in general, rentals cost an average of $50 + a $40-60 deposit. We have also heard many comments about having the best customer service because taking care of each person who walks through our door is our top priority and we work with you as best as we can.
I am most proud of the amazing young women who chose to wear our dresses for their event. We rent and sell dresses for any sort of formal event and young women have worn our dresses while they were crowned many different titles as well as looking amazing for prom.
In the winter and spring, we hold Open Houses where appointments are not necessary and you are able to come in and try on dresses. The Open House dates will be posted on our Facebook and Instagram in December. Otherwise, we are always open by appointment. To schedule an appointment, you can message us through our social media.
What does success mean to you?
The great thing about success is that it is different for everyone. Success is breaking past obstacles and creating a better life today than you had yesterday. It is getting back up no matter how hard life knocks you down.
Pricing:
- Average rental is $50
- All rentals have a deposit fee that is about $40-60 depending on the dress
- Renting your dress can save an average of $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dresseseverafter.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dresseseverafter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DressesEverAfter
Image Credits
Hannah Davis
