The Dress Gallery is expanding again, but this time it’s on the east side.
The store, which opened in Delano in 2008, has expanded a couple of times there and now has three storefronts along West Douglas.
With this expansion, there will be a whole new store.
Occasions by Dress Gallery, or Occasions by DG for short, is going to open at Normandie Center at Central and Woodlawn later this year.
Sales manager Jillian Forsberg said the renovations coming to Normandie with new owners Brent and Kerrie DuPont are part of the draw as is plentiful parking and how easy it is to find. Also, the center is near the store’s preferred seamstress.
The new shop will be in two storefronts at Normandie.
Even though the Dress Gallery in Delano is in three storefronts, it’s still not enough room, Forsberg said.
“Our formal wear department has grown so much over the past five yeas,” she said.
The busy prom and bridal seasons coincide, and Forsberg said it’s not unusual to have 30 bridal appointments and 500 prom shoppers all visit in the same day.
“We’ve counted the people. It’s insane.” Also, Forsberg said there’s no longer a dedicated store for formal attire since Foggy Bottom closed in 2017.
“We’ve noticed even Miss Kansas herself goes to Oklahoma for her gowns,” Forsberg said. “Mothers of the bride and groom no longer have a place to really shop.”
She said the store gets about 10 to 15 calls or visits a week from women looking for those kinds of dresses.
The new store will have a range of formal wear, including tuxedo rentals, and the Delano store will no longer offer prom dresses.
“It’s very wedding focused,” Forsberg said.
Stephanie Wise of Street Commercial and John Potts of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal for the new space.
Forsberg said the store will be visible from the street.
“It’s basically front and center.”
She said the hope is for it to open in November, but that depends on renovations.
“It’s going to be beautiful.”
