'Nothing sketchy:' The Dress owner says business still open

The owner of The Dress says the Saskatoon gown shop isn’t closing.

Jordyn Rothery clarified the situation surrounding the business after customers said they had been left in the dark by the store.

She told 650 CKOM through text messages that The Dress, located on Auditorium Avenue across from Midtown Plaza, is switching to an appointment-only “trunk show” bridal store.

“There isn’t actually any physical inventory hanging in the store – it’s always fresh and changing,” she wrote.

“A smaller, more local, designer brings an entire collection for one or two days, so as you shop you have the designer right there to answer questions or even customize your dress.”

Rothery also addressed the situation regarding dress deliveries, insisting every customer would still be getting what they ordered.

“There is nothing sketchy going on,” she said. “If I was planning on taking people’s money and taking off, I wouldn’t be here.”

She added anyone who didn’t want to wait for their dresses is welcome to a full refund.

Rothery said she felt she could’ve better explained what was going on with the store to her customers, especially after seeing the reaction and panic.

“Unfortunately, with other sudden closures of bridal stores in the city, there is definitely a level of panic,” she said. “People instantly jumped to worst case scenario.”

She insisted many customers were still happy with her service.

“However you don’t hear from those ones,” she said.

DESIGNER CONSIDERING LEGAL ACTION

Despite Rothery’s assurances, others aren’t confident they can rely on her.

A representative with Chic Distributions in Quebec told 650 CKOM he had “never dealt with a shop like this.”

“She disappears for months,” he said. “Then sends an email here or there to ask for more dresses.”

He added he couldn’t provide his name until consulting with a lawyer, hinting they were pursuing “something legal” against The Dress.

When presented with the designer’s response, Rothery said, “It’s a little confusing to me.”

“I have threads of constant text messages with him,” she added.