When Lindsay Fork opened the doors to her first Luxe Redux Bridal boutique in 2011, she wasn’t aiming to build a multi-state bridal brand. She was solving a problem she knew all too well.
Designers require minimum purchases twice a year, leaving bridal boutiques with racks of samples and discontinued gowns that tie up precious space and capital for next season’s order.
Rather than viewing those dresses as a loss, Fork saw an opportunity for growth.
She tried sample sales, but they didn’t stick. Promoting these sales before the days of social media was different, and she’d only have a few customers come to each sale despite advertising locally and in-store.
“I wasn’t moving the samples quickly enough, and that’s where the idea for Luxe Redux came along. Based on how my brides were shopping, I needed a store that’s a sample sale all the time.”
“Of course, I said, ‘Sure, I’ll figure it out. No problem.’ They had different designers than I did, and I thought that was pretty exciting. So I said yes, and they started sending me boxes.”
Fork created an ahead-of-its-time online marketplace for brides to browse their inventory of designer dresses at discounted prices, which helped grow the brand and bring more brides in to shop. Since then, the business has continued to grow and evolve.
Today, Luxe Redux Bridal operates 12 boutique locations across the Midwest and beyond, with plans to open four more by the end of 2026, Orlando in February and Charlotte in the spring.
The Detroit location opened in 2023, reflecting a strategic growth plan and some personal roots, too. After opening multiple stores in Ohio, expanding into Michigan was the next right move.
“Detroit felt a little bit like home because I grew up in northwest Ohio, not far from Detroit. It felt natural,” said Fork. “I fell in love with the downtown revitalization, the architecture, and the art scene. I could feel that it was someplace we could grow and thrive.”
Detroit marked a milestone for Luxe Redux Bridal as one of its first locations in a Class A, first-generation commercial space, signaling a new level of professionalism and growth. Other locations now operate in a mix of smaller boutique spaces and commercial developments like Woodward West in Detroit.
As Luxe Redux Bridal has grown, so has its business structure. Each store typically employs between four and 10 employees, including a store manager and assistant manager, full-time and part-time bridal stylists.
While the brand continues to add more store locations, the Home Office team has grown, too. Now employing over 100 people, Fork has heavily invested in leadership and management, with three new senior-level roles onboarding this year.
“District management has been critical, especially as an out-of-state operator,” she said. “After the doors open, it’s all about supporting the store managers.”
Anticipating continued growth in the years to come, Luxe Redux recently opened a new distribution center that is three times larger than the previous one to better serve its store locations.
At the heart of Luxe Redux is the bridal experience. “Making sure our brides have the best experience is key. Bridal shopping is emotional,” she said. “There are family dynamics, body insecurities, social media pressure, and differing opinions. Our stylists have to read the room and manage all the guests while working with their bride.”
Fork focuses on training her stylists to listen closely to their brides and hear what they’re saying.
“If a bride tells us she doesn’t like ball gowns, we don’t show her ball gowns,” Fork said. “Our job is easiest when we stop talking and listen. Of course, we love the occasional wild card. Brides rely on us to be experts in their journey.”
In addition to consignment relationships with bridal boutiques nationwide, Luxe Redux Bridal has become known for handling large-scale buyouts from closing boutiques and even insurance-related situations.
Luxe Brands now also encompasses La Jeune Mariee, Luxe Redux Bridal, the Ohio Bridal Outlet, and the Luxe Privée private label collection, which fills size and trend gaps in their stores.
E-commerce supports, but does not replace, the in-store experience with Luxe. Brides can browse online by location, request dress transfers to their store, and use a “try on at home” shopping option if they can’t visit a store.
“Brick-and-mortar is still what brides want,” Fork said. “But e-commerce gives them flexibility and confidence before they walk in.”
As a multi-state retailer, Luxe Redux joined Michigan Retailers Association for Michigan- specific support. “As chief problem solver, I was looking for better ways to hire in a new state,” Fork said. “It’s always about people and employment, finding better and more creative ways to find the right people, especially for management positions.”