Today we’d like to introduce you to Chiara Carroll
Hi Chiara , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Chiara Carroll and I am originally from Odenton, MD. I have been sewing since I was 12 years old. In my late teen age years, I started a sole proprietorship when I was in MD called ‘by Chiara’. The goal was to take my love for sewing and my new found interest to design and create modest ready to wear pieces and accessories for communities that were having a harder time finding stylish and modest pieces. I continued studying the market and found that it was harder to gain clientele when clients had access to cheaper or more affordable options online or in retailers that could sell the modest items for a fraction of what I was going to charge. So, instead I continued to sharpen my alterations skills and serve in sewing guilds until I moved to St. Louis in 2019 and have been here ever since. At this point I was in college for two degree programs running an alterations business off campus from my home. I tapped into the bridal alterations market and began doing alterations for all of my female classmates, creating custom accessories from their mother’s wedding dresses, and more. It was at this moment I recognized a rising need for modest alterations to wedding dresses that modest brides would buy from local salons. So take the cost of a gown and add the cost to customize and make it more modest, that for some brides was out of their budgets. That is when I realized I could tap into modest gowns whether custom or wholesale for shops to purchase, implementing my love for design and my knowledge and background on sewing to help create access to beautiful gowns that are modest and do not sacrifice style.
Chiara Carroll Bridal LLC looks to serve the modest, but modern bride who is looking to express her style all without sacrificing her standards. Whether she goes custom or selects a style that will be available for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, CCB is here to help.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Growing pains has always seemed to slow down the process as one has scaled. Whether financially or structurally, any step forward has always been very laborious and tiring, but with growth comes fresh, new territory and challenges to conquer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Chiara Carroll Bridal LLC looks to serve the modest, but modern bride who is looking to express her style all without sacrificing her standards. Whether she goes custom or selects a style that will be available for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, CCB is here to help. CCB offers a selection of accessories, veils, and custom items as well that complements your dress and fulfills the vision of ones wedding day. A service we offer in expert in-house alterations and day-of steaming services.
I think one thing that sets me apart is the niche that I tailor to specifically here in STL. A lot of my target demographic flys to Utah or New York, but I am looking to be a one- stop destination for all things elevated, bridal, and modest in the Midwest. One of my values is family. I love incorporating a mother’s dress in a custom clutch or revamping it into something new.
I am proud of the process that I have made. I won a grant through the Balsa foundation and that income really pushed my business forward.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I won the Balsa Grant about a year ago.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chiaracarrollbridal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiaracarrollbridal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=chiara%20carroll%20bridal
