Woman Makes History, Opens First Ever Black-Owned Bridal Store in Minnesota

Lorraine Love, an African American entrepreneur from St Paul, Minnesota, has made history after recently opening LaNoire Bridal, the first-ever Black-owned bridal store in the entire state of Minnesota."I played around with a bunch of different names, and I thought what does Black mean in other languages and that’s when I came across La Noire. And I thought that’s beautiful," Love said in an interview with Fox 9 Minneapolis. "And also realizing that, when I was doing my research that we didn’t have any Black-owned bridal shops here in Minnesota so that was another driver to me being in this field right now,"

That's the reason Love stepped up to open the LaNoire Bridal store in May 2022, hoping to make all brides feel welcome and comfortable. Love said she makes sure that every bride is confident to express her true self in the dress that she will wear on her very special day.

Six months since Love opened the bridal store, she has already sold about 30 bridal gowns. One of her first clients is Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez of Richfield, Minnesota, who said she had an amazing experience with her friends and mother-in-law when she went to fit gowns at the store.

"I think the wedding industry caters to making women feel like they need to fit a certain mold, and it can be really uncomfortable," Gonzalez said, noting that she is thankful to LaNoire Bridal for making her feel comfortable and empowering her to represent her culture through her dress.

LaNoire Bridal currently has over 10 designers who create various styles for brides in all shapes and sizes. They also provide customizations for those who want a unique gown.

"It was really important for me not only to seek out black designers but also designers that would cater to a diverse group of individuals," said Love.

Moreover, LaNoire Bridal also offers gowns for bridesmaids and mother-of-the-bride. In the future, Love says that she hopes to open a LaNoire Bridal store in every state.

Learn more about LaNoire Bridal at LaNoireBridal.com

Also, be sure to follow the store on Instagram at @LaNoireBridal