Lola Dré:

A Leading Brand in Local Luxury Fashion

A local luxury fashion boutique is dominating the luxury fashion scene for fashionistas in search of high-end women’s fashion, resort wear, and bridal wear.

Photography by: Steven Martine

While we once had to make a trip to the iconic Worth Avenue shopping district or a major department store to find elite designer fashion brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Aquazurra, Missoni, and Naeem Khan to name a few; we now have access to many of these brands and more right here in Jupiter, Florida. Relocating to Palm Beach County, Florida from New Jersey, Lorry Rahman has always had a love for fashion and a dream of owning her own retail store. With the help of her husband and CEO, Joseph Rahman, they created a brand that represents femininity, luxury, and elegance for the South Florida clientele. Their stylish boutique of Lola Dré, located at Harbourside Place in Jupiter, FL exudes luxury with crystal chandeliers, designer handbags, and shoes on display in beautiful shelving and bouquets of Venus et Fleur flowers throughout the store. Located
behind a secret door hides a luxurious VIP shopping and styling suite for the clientele looking for a more private shopping experience and personal styling services.

Going above and beyond the traditional retailer role to cater to clients’ needs has separated them from online luxury retailers and department stores. Offering services such as personalized styling, consignment packages, personal delivery, shipping, and
custom tailoring for VIP clients has allowed clients to shop local and have a luxurious, personalized shopping experience.

“Knowing our customer is key. Knowing their style, their past purchases with us, their size and fit, and even their travel schedule.

We are about creating relationships”, says Lorry.

Seeing the community’s positive response to the Lola Dré boutique, The Rahmans decided to expand their brand to offer elevated resort wear and opened Sand by Lola Dré just a few steps away across the street. Sand by Lola Dré offers a beautiful selection of chic, resort wear by top brands such as PatBo, Staud, Missoni, Zimmerman and more. After a short time of only five years since opening its doors, Lola Dré has quickly made its name a recognized brand. A brand that they have perfected by directing all of their styling and photography in-house. Joining the brand since inception, Maria Brogna, Partner and Creative VP, brings years of industry experience in the luxury fashion world. Lola Dré was built around a vision to cultivate a collection of the most coveted and emerging designers and the latest trends and styles. Lola Dré attends the New York and Paris markets in search of only those pieces which align with their unique perspective of blending novelty and specialty pieces for women to shop where they know they will find a one-of-akind pieces in a one-of-a-kind setting. Since mastering the concept of women’s contemporary and resort wear fashion, Lorry recognized a need in the Jupiter area for a different kind of fashion; bridal gowns by top bridal designers. With many local brides travelling to major Florida cities such as Miami and Orlando to find luxury bridal designers such as Lee Petra Grebanau, Netta Ben Shabu, Reem Acra, and Naeem Khan, to name a few, Lorry thought it would be a great addition and expansion for the Lola Dré brand. Now after opening only one year ago, Brides by Lola Dré located next door to their main Harbourside location, has taken the bridal scene by surprise! They even caught the attention of the very well-known Kleinfeld in New York City. They hosted a Lola Dré/Kleinfeld event featuring Randy Fenoli, star of “TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress” last year and have since collaborated with the bridal mogul again launching a new concept for bridal dress resale.

Coastal Drive Magazine talks with Lorry herself on her start to her fashion journey, creating her brand, expanding her brand and what’s next for the Lola Dré brand.

CDM: Lorry, thank you for taking the time to share your story with us. When did you decide that you wanted to open your own boutique?

LR: Fashion has always been a part of my life, but I was inspired by our trips to Europe where we expe- rienced some of the most beautiful boutiques with exceptional customer service that is not easily found in the US. I thought to myself we need this in Flor- ida!

CDM: What inspired your design and vision for” “Lola Dré?

LR: The concept of Lola Dré is born from the idea of sitting in your best friend’s closet trying on all the latest styles in a beautiful, luxurious setting. In the age of online shopping, I wanted to return to brick- and-mortar in a judgment-free space where you and your girlfriends can come drink champagne and try on the latest fashions in a judgment-free zone.

CDM: You opened Lola Dré in 2019 and shortly after opening were faced with the pandemic, which changed people’s habits on fashion tremendously. How did you adjust your business model to adapt to this change?

LR: We adapted to the change by developing a full e-commerce website which received a great amount of attention at the time and has continued to grow to date. We developed our online space to feel as if you are shopping in Lola Dré, only virtually. The Lola Dré vision is carried forward through the look and feel of our website along with our virtual customer service and innovative technology, which makes our customers feel as though they are shopping at our store from the comfort of their own home.

CDM: Are there any new designers that you plan to carry in the future?

LR: We are very excited to introduce 16 Arlington (we almost bought the entire collection), along with Clea, Johanna Ortiz Swimwear, Waimari, Devon Windsor, and many more.

CDM: You have expanded your brand into bridal fashion recently. Was it a difficult transition for bridal from contemporary and resort wear fashion?

LR: Actually, it was an easy transition as so many of our Lola customers were becoming brides and kept
asking us to carry bridal gowns. We quickly realized that our girl wanted the same type of fashion and level of service they are accustomed to at Lola Dré, but only in a bridal gown.

CDM: Did your connection with designers through Lola Dré help establish your credibility
with the bridal industry designers?

LR: Absolutely. When we first reached out to our bridal designers, they were impressed by the Lola Dré website and the caliber of designers we were able to secure in just 4 short years.

CDM: Who is a Brides by Lola Dré bride?

LR: The Lola Dré bride is often our client or a friend of our client who loves fashion and is used to shopping in a beautiful atmosphere with top-level customer service. Lola Dré has helped our bridal business immensely by giving wedding planners in the area a place to send their brides simply on our reputation alone. Brides by Lola Dré can accommodate any bride’s silhouette and style.

CDM: Brides by Lola Dré has collaborated with Kleinfeld which included a TLC’s, “Say Yes to the Dress” event and a secondary bridal dress venture. Can you tell us about the secondary dress concept?

LR: Kleinfeld Again is a resale website for selling your preowned wedding gown. After in-depth market studies, we have discovered along with Kleinfeld that there is a large demand for such service. Any bride can list her dress on Kleinfeld Again (kleinfeldagain.com) through a very user-friendly inter- face. Sellers can set their prices, communicate with the buyers, and finalize the sale. The seller ships the dress to Kleinfeld Again for inspection and verification, which adds a layer of protection to both the seller and the buyer. Once the dress passes inspection, the seller gets paid by either check or PayPal.

CDM: What are some of the top bridal dress style trends that you are seeing for Fall/Winter?

LR: At our last bridal market, we noticed an increase in drop waist and Basque waist trends as well as the return of lace. The clean look is still popular, but new unique twists have been added such as mixed medias and the addition of removable floral accents. We’re very excited to receive this new collection this Fall.

CDM: Are there any new Lola Dré expansions on the horizon?

LR: We’re always looking to expand our brand and even though we would love to share our ideas, you’ll have to stay tuned!”

CDM: Are you involved in or support any local organizations and if yes, why did you choose the organization?

LR: Yes, giving back to the community is very important to us. We have previously partnered with the Selfless Love Foundation, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and The Center for Family Services Palm Beach. We have supported many other organizations that we are passionate about such as The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Place of Hope, LLS, and The American Heart Association.

CDM: How do you manage three boutiques and make time for yourself and your family?

LR: LOL!!! Life is a balancing act! All kidding aside, our staff is a well-oiled machine ranging from those who have been with us from the start to our newest additions. We also depend on a range of software developed by us to automate most of the process- es in each business. Software automation helped us cut down on the time consumed over repetitive” “tasks. Our in-depth data collection from purchases helped us understand our customers better through detailed reporting, which in turn helped us optimize our buy for each season.

CDM: What advice would you give to any young ladies considering entrepreneurship?

LR: Don’t be afraid to try and don’t be afraid to ask for help. When all else fails, make sure you never run out of coffee and wine! Honestly, the majority of entrepreneurs quit just before they reach their goals. Don’t be afraid to fail, every time you fail, you gain knowledge on how not to do things in the future. You must have patience, dedication, and passion to see it through.

CDM: Do you have a quote that you live by?

LR: I have three: Live each day to the fullest! Treat others the way you wish to be treated. Never take no for an answer!

“Never Take No For An Answer”

– Lorry Rahman