Hill to get first bridal shop with Kimberly James

Posted 3/27/19

Kimberly Kingkiner will open her new bridal shop in Chestnut Hill this Friday, March 29. (Photo by Maddie Clark) by Maddie Clark Kimberly James Bridal shop, at 15 W. Highland Ave., is scheduled to …

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Hill to get first bridal shop with Kimberly James

Posted

Kimberly Kingkiner will open her new bridal shop in Chestnut Hill this Friday, March 29. (Photo by Maddie Clark)

by Maddie Clark

Kimberly James Bridal shop, at 15 W. Highland Ave., is scheduled to open its doors for the very first time on Friday, March 29.

Branded as “a bridal experience all about you,” Kimberly James Bridal will be Chestnut Hill’s very first bridal shop of this kind.

While Chestnut Hill has a lot to offer couples looking for wedding services – cakes at The Night Kitchen Bakery & Café, flowers at Robertson’s Flowers & Events and invitations at Paperia – the neighborhood has never had a bridal store.

“It’s nice to be the first,”said owner Kimberly Kingkiner. “I don’t know why there was never a bridal shop in Chestnut Hill.”

Born and raised in Manayunk, Kingkiner said she knew that she wanted to grow her business close to home.

“I love the feel that Chestnut Hill has,” she said. “You can come get your dress from me, go get invitations, your cake and stop for food along the way,” all on the streets of Chestnut Hill.

Kingkiner added that she wants to contribute to the Hill’s “community vibe,” while also bringing in the next generation of customers.

One way Kingkiner plans to do this is through the interactive nature of her store. To that end, she has set up a “selfie station” that will be a permanent staple of her shop.

Not only will brides be able to experience the fun of taking selfies with their friends and family, but their picture can be used as a geotag through Kingkiner’s Instagram handle. This will allow brides to permanently capture their special moments while also promoting the store to younger audiences who might not be familiar with Chestnut Hill otherwise.

With Kingkiner’s boutique branded as “a bridal experience all about you,” Kingkiner will operate on an appointment only basis of one and a half hour sessions to ensure that each bride gets the undivided attention that she deserves.

“I want the bride to walk away happy,” said Kingkiner.

Kingkiner also wants to offer a very relaxed setting for bridal shopping, much like her own personal style.

“ is going to be getting naked in front of me in a fitting room – so I want the bride to leave knowing that I’m more than the woman who sells gowns,” she said.

Kingkiner’s love of clothing and design runs deep. She said that when she was a kid, she would often twirl her barbies in paper towels to make new outfits for them.

“From day one, I knew I wanted to be a part of clothing – designing clothes is just a part of me,” she said.

This creativity and drive carried through young adulthood as Kingkiner studied fashion design at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Then, after college, she began designing prom dresses and wedding gowns. Later, she even started creating her own jewelry. Kingkiner has designed jewelry items for companies QVC, HSN, Anthropologie and mom and pop shops.

This developed into Kingkiner’s previous work at her friend’s entertainment company, Anthony Michael Events. Kingkiner also did some work for her Aunt’s bridal salon, Unveiled.

During this time, however, Kingkiner always knew that she wanted to open up her own boutique.

While Kimberly James will carry mostly wedding dresses, Kingkiner has made it a point to offer other merchandise. In addition to wedding gowns, there will be veils, belts, jewelry, including items made by Kingkiner herself, white outfits for engagement parties, beach attire, clutches, Mr. and Mrs. wine glasses, shirts with phrases like “bride tribe”, custom embroidered denim and leather jackets and so on.

Because Chestnut Hill is very much a community, Kingkiner wants people to have the opportunity to walk into her shop and see that there’s more to offer than just wedding gowns. You don’t even have to be getting married to come into her store; you can just pop in and get a pair of earrings or a cute headpiece for an event.

And in order to further make Kimberly James a community staple, she wants to offer in shop classes. For example, people can bring in their old bridesmaids dresses to be cut down and repurposed into something else.

While Kingkiner has been working tirelessly to get the shop ready for opening day, she already has a five-year plan in mind. Not only is she hoping to get her own in-house seamstress, but Kingkiner also plans to sell some of her own wedding gowns in the shop.

“It would be a huge joy to be able to say, ‘I made that,’” she said.

But for now, Kingkiner will be offering Morilee gowns, as well as gowns by a few other designers.

Though this has been said before, while Kingkiner’s goal is to make Kimberly James part of the Chestnut Hill Community, she also wants the boutique to be a personal representation of herself; from the store’s relaxed vibe, handmade items and even the name itself. While Kimberly is taken after Kingkiner’s own name, James is a tribute to her father who died four years ago in April.

Kingkiner’s homage to her dad is also said to be a good luck charm. She even plans to have her parents’ wedding photo hung up in the shop – a constant reminder that he is always with her.

Kimberly James Bridal will officially open on Friday, March 29, with a ribbon cutting ceremony from 6 to 8 p.m. Kimberly James Bridal will also be a part of Chestnut Hill’s Unveiled Bridal Event on Saturday, April 6 from noon to 5 p.m.

Maddie Clark is a contributing writer.

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