Few garments are as meaningful as a bride’s wedding dress, but these gorgeous gowns have served little purpose beyond the big day — but Ohio startup Unbox the Dress is changing that.
Canton-based company Unbox the Dress transforms wedding dresses into treasured heirlooms that can be passed on for generations. Instead of boxing up a dress and placing it in storage — the common post-wedding preservation method — Unbox the Dress turns a gown into custom heirloom gifts like robes, bouquet wraps, ornaments, purses, pocket squares, baby clothes and décor.
From over 800 clients countrywide to its recent acceptance into accelerator The Brandery’s 11th cohort of startups, Unbox the Dress is doing more than gifting brides a pretty heirloom or two. It’s shaking up the niche bridal fashion industry with an intuitive tech platform and physical product its two co-founders — a mother-daughter duo — knew would resonate with brides and their families.
“My mother and I recognized the sentimental attachment women feel toward their wedding gowns and the emotionally dissatisfying nature of current post-wedding gown care,” said Unbox the Dress Co-Founder and CEO Grace Rojek, who notes roughly 70% of married women still have their beloved dresses boxed up in storage. “We were motivated to provide a more emotionally-rewarding and sustainable solution. The combination of empowering technology and our unique manufacturing model allow us to deliver this service at scale.”
Rojek says this focus on scaling helped her company first capture The Brandery’s attention. Smart growth, as well as content, are just some of Unbox the Dress’ goals for its 12 virtual weeks with the Cincinnati-based startup accelerator.
“At the time of our application [to The Brandery], we had validated the business concept and were ready to scale in the smartest possible way. I think it was an excellent mutual fit,” Rojek said. “During our time in The Brandery program, we've been seeking the right strategic partners to accelerate our growth. We've also been exploring innovative customer acquisition strategies and creating new, compelling video content to better tell our story as part of a collaboration with Borne Content.”
While major achievements are on the horizon, Unbox the Dress entered this 2020 cohort with several big successes under its belt. One of the primary business wins, a proprietary digital platform, makes the dress transformation process easily navigable and enjoyable for brides and their families.
“In 2018, we built and launched a proprietary tech platform on our website,” Rojek said. “It’s a tool that helps women understand exactly how many heirlooms they can create based on their unique wedding dress. We believe this technology has applications to other types of garment upcycling beyond wedding dresses.”
Heirlooms, created by a handful of master-level sewers, are Unbox the Dress’ main calling card, but the company also helps brides preserve their dresses. The team’s modern, archival museum save-the-dress method safely stores the dress until it’s time to pass it on or turn it into heirloom gifts.
While this preservation method is beyond valuable — think environmentally friendly cleaning, hand-repairs, and museum-quality preservation techniques — it’s more than just another product offering. It’s a way for Unbox the Dress to get in front of potential future clients who may want to make heirloom gifts one day, but they’d rather honeymoon, house-hunt and enjoy the newlywed life first.
