Our Interview with Coren Moore

Talented designer, mother of three, historian and environmental enthusiast… Coren Moore is a lady that does it all! Coren’s unique, chic styles excite brides all over to dress their bridal parties in only the best. The seemingly endless array of fabrics and colors, from shantung and seersucker to tiffany blue and emerald, accommodates any bride’s vision for their big day. Taking a brief pause, Coren shared a little more about how she got her start and even her own high school fashion faux pas…

BB: What do you think has been the most important factor in the success of your business?

CM: Customer service and a high quality product. We make everything in NYC so we can ensure timely deliveries. We put our brides and stores first and do everything possible to help make the day go off without a hitch.



BB: When designing for women, specifically bridesmaids, what are your inspirations?

Coren and her team at the Martha Stewart Weddings party

CM: Classic, timeless American icons of style…CZ Guest, Grace Kelly, Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Hutton, Ralph Lauren, Slim Aarons photographs…you get the idea! I majored in History at Bowdoin College and have always revered American style and spirit. My bookshelf is also full of interior design books for inspiration - Sister Parish, Albert Hadley, Kelly Wearstler, Charlotte Moss, anything published by Rizzoli. I recently heard Carleton Varney speak and love his use of color. Planning a wedding incorporates many elements of interior design - choosing a color palette and overall style that carries through to the many details of the wedding – from the font used in the stationery, to flowers, dresses, linens, reception site, photography style. For brides, planning their wedding and choosing these elements allows them to express their personal style. When I design a dress, my first criteria is to make sure it’s something I would wear! Then I make sure it will flatter different figures, and keep it from being too “bridesmaid-y”. But I always envision the dress in a wedding and how it will fit with a bride’s vision and style.

BB: Was there a specific event or person in your life that led you to begin designing bridesmaid dresses?

CM: I would say planning my own wedding in 2003, as well as being a bridesmaid. Too often, I had experiences in stores where I felt pressured, encountered unhappy or intimidating salespeople, had to order dresses in sizes we had never worn, that came in and weren’t close to fitting. I thought - weddings are about love, friendship, happiness – this should all be more fun and pleasant. Since then, the wedding industry has changed and it’s refreshing to see there are many options for dresses that feature off the rack sizing, made by smaller boutique dress labels.

Jennifer Garner, Image via Gloss

BB: If you could give any famous woman a makeover, who would she be and how would you style them?

CM: Jennifer Garner. She always looks amazing on the red carpet, but for every day I would bring in better fitting, more colorful items.

BB: What high school trends are you embarrassed to admit you followed?

CM: I graduated from high school in 1993, in Connecticut. Laura Ashley dresses were the trend back then, when I look at our group pictures, it looks like we are all wearing floral curtains! Girls today look a lot cuter.

Bella Bridesmaid bridal party in Coren Moore dresses

BB: If you weren't a designer, what career path would you have chosen?


CM: There are so many! On the creative side - Interior Design, Landscape Design, working at Christies, Sotheby,The National Trust for Historic Preservation. On the personal fulfillment side, I would want to do something cause related – a company focused on solving environmental or healthcare problems.



BB: What is your favorite dress in your collection?

Coren Moore's Lauren dress

CM: The Lauren is my new favorite. It is very simple, but with the structured fit, softer boning, and straight skirt… it’s a little bit sexy and a little bit sophisticated.

BB: Any advice for certain styles on different body shapes?

CM: Our signature is our fitted bodice. It is structured and supportive, with boning and interfacing, designed to hold you in and camouflage problem areas. The thicker fabrics that we use, such as faille and shantung, enhance the structure and fit. The bodice cinches in and sits higher up on the waist, flattering the waistline and creating an hourglass figure. This top flatters most body types. From here, you can choose a full skirt for larger hips, or straighter skirt such as the Lauren. What it comes down to is a question of personal style.

BB: What are you carrying in your purse?

CM: Clinique Black Honey lipstick, Essie polish (“Island Hopping”), car keys, wallet, iphone, peppermint gum, jelly beans, scissors, crayons, paper…and many other random things! I have 3 girls, ages 5, 3, and 1 so you can imagine the collection!


                                                                                                 Thank you Coren!

Meet & Greet: Sheri and Kristin, owners of Scottsdale

Kristin and Sheri in their Scottsdale boutique

Bella Bridesmaid ladies are like family, and for some, actually are family! Sheri and Kristin Cartwright, are the fabulous mother/daughter duo who opened the Scottsdale boutique in January of 2011. The recent college graduate and the savvy business woman sought to bring modern and wearable designer lines to brides and bridesmaids alike in the Scottsdale area. With the encouragement from fellow Bella owners and old friends, Kathleen and Erin of Chicago, Sheri and Kristin have had great success! The duo sat down with us to share a little more of how they came to be Bella gals...



BB: What did both of you do before owning Bella?

S: We lived in Chicago for the past 12 years. I was a real estate agent for four years before my husband and I purchased an existing business CartwrightDownes, where we do background verification services.

K: Before opening the shop I was a college student. I graduated from Northwestern University in 2009. In between graduation and opening day, I waitressed and catered at our family restaurant.

Opening day in Scottsdale

BB: Why did you want to become part of the Bella franchise?

S&K: The idea started after talking with good family friends of ours, Kathleen Casey and her daughter Erin, owners of the Chicago boutique. Through the years we have heard about her and Erin's exciting experiences running the Chicago store. The more we learned about the franchise the more interested we became in being a part of the Bella family. We were both fascinated with the wedding industry and eager to be a part of a crucial calling for brides.


BB: What is the most memorable moment so far in your boutique?

K: Our first sale, which actually happened before we even opened our doors. About two months before the store was complete, a bride contacted us looking for Saja wedding gowns. Luckily, Saja was one of the first designers to have sent their dresses to our home. Not wanting to make the bride wait an extra two months, we packed up the dresses and brought Saja's beautiful line to her. We were able to set up a mini showroom in her living room where she found the dress of her dreams!

S: For me it was seeing the end product of our shop and having our first appointment come in. The interior of our shop turned out looking better than we could have ever imagined and it was fantastic to have someone finally experience it. I will probably always remember that first bridal group that came in. They ended up choosing multiple styles from LulaKate that looked fabulous on the girls.

Sherri pictured with her daughter in law,
 wearing the "Reade" 

BB: What are your favorite bridesmaid dresses that are hanging in your personal closets?


S: 57 Grand's “Reade”. This is actually the dress that I wore to my son's wedding in September.


K: My choice for favorite changes periodically. As of right now, my favorite Bella dress is Joanna August “Dara”. I love all of Joanna August's dresses, but this one in particular is the ultimate flattering, chic, and comfortable dress.







BB: Tell us about a favorite recent bride that has an interesting story.

S&K: We have had so many wonderful brides come into our store with incredible backgrounds and stories. Our favorite recent bride's story is our daughter in law/sister in law's, Syreeta Burnett. Being from Illinois, she was able to make a trip to Scottsdale where she made a visit to the shop. It was a magical time to be able to help her in creating her perfect wedding.

Image de Manio Photography
via Style News

Image via People

BB: What is your fave celebrity wedding dress?

S: I love Chelsea Clinton's Vera Wang wedding gown. It is a true fairy tale wedding dress without being over the top. The crystal waistband she wore made the dress even more glamorous.

K: Carrie Underwood's wedding gown AND wedding reception dress! Both so unique and so stunning!







BB: So what are dress/s are Arizona's brides flocking to?

S&K: Our Arizona brides love Amsale's crinkle chiffon dresses. Light and airy enough to keep them cool during a hot Arizona day or evening and stylish enough to evoke elegance.

BB: What is the best wedding trend you've seen recently?

S&K: We know you're hearing this a lot, but we love brides giving their maids options! Designers such as LulaKate, Lynn Lugo, Two Birds and Amsale make it so easy for bridal parties to pick multiple dress styles that both unify the wedding party and compliment each unique bridesmaid's body type. We also have some brides who are choosing a variety of bolder, brighter colors. They are choosing colors that help express their particular personalities. We love that!


Thank you Sheri & Kristin!