La Vallée Bridal
A storybook wedding in the mountains of Colorado is the stuff fantasies are made of, yet despite its picturesque topography and international status, there had never been a true bridal store in the Vail Valley. After years of working in the bridal industry, Amanda Chapline wanted to change that by establishing the first, elevated bridal boutique in the area so that brides-to-be could find the dress of their dreams. So she came to 970 Design with a blank slate: She knew she wanted to start her business, and had just taken over the lease on an old photography studio in the center of town. Everything else was up in the air.
We started from square one with Amanda to help her build the boutique of her dreams–La Vallée Bridal. Every facet of La Vallée’s branding was handled by 970, from name exploration to interior design to signage and print ads, we took care of it all. Today, La Vallée is recognized as the premier bridal boutique not just in the Vail Valley, but throughout the entirety of Colorado’s West Slope.
Branding
When approaching the branding for the store, 970 sought to cut to the core of what Amanda Chapline wanted the store to be–a luxurious boutique offering the same refined customer service and sought-after designers you would find in a shop on the streets of Paris, that still channeled the natural beauty of Vail Valley.
We started with the name: La Vallée. The brand evoked the thrilling sensation of strolling through the boutiques on Avenue des Champs Elysées while still paying homage to the store’s immaculate geographic location.
For our logo design, we again touched on this dualistic identity: One half drawing inspiration from the timeless, Roman fonts you might see adorning the Arc de Triomphe; the other half, one of the blooming wildflowers which illuminate our valley each spring.
And when it came to color palette creation, we again wanted to be all-encompassing: Muted greys and browns that projected the quiet strength of Eagle County foothills and Parisian buildings made of Lutetian Limestone; gentle pinks and blues that call to mind wildflowers in bloom and the faded patina of Gothic metal gateways.
Fashion-Forward Design
When building a website for a brand whose entire reputation is built around being fashion-forward, it behooves you to be a little avant-garde. So that’s just what we did.
We built the website to be an intro to the in-shop experience customers would have when dress shopping with La Vallée. We showcased haute couture photos, created bios for the world-class designers whose dresses Coloradan brides could only find at La Vallée. And we created a website subsection for customers to see the beautiful wedding memories La Vallée had already created in the Valley for other brides.
And for 970’s efforts, we were awarded an honorable mention from the Awwwards, which had us grinning like a bride on her big day.
“You know when you meet someone or a group of people, and you just instantly click? That’s how I would describe my first meeting with the incredible design team at 970. It’s like instantly, they took my vision for the La Vallée brand and turned it into a beautiful creation, and it felt effortless. I am so thankful to Have worked with a team of creative gurus, whose expertise in design and project management made The process not only stress-free but exciting and a ton of fun!”
– Amanda Chapline, Founder, La Vallée
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