My Merabi Moment
- Dec 11, 2020
- 5 min read
My 30th birthday was certainly one to remember, not just because it was celebrated in lockdown, but because I happened to be gifted from my Mum one of the greatest gifts there is – the Nadine Merabi Olivia dress in navy!
I've loved the Nadine Merabi brand since discovery in 2015, since which I've longed to own one of her beautiful dresses to wear to a special occasion, but with money being tight, it was never quite possible. Knowing that when I do have a really special event to dress up for, Nadine Merabi would be my first choice, I still regularly kept up to date with her latest collections and followed the brand.
Nadine's designs ooze luxuriousness and glamour – there's a sophisticated sex appeal not found easy or often. Every garment has intricate lace detail, embroidered mesh, embellished features and unique design characteristics in the cut and shape – every piece really is special.
The cut of the Celine Gold, the sophisticated beauty of the Valentina and the simply stunning extravagance of the Stella make these dresses 3 of my all time favourites, even more so that there are various colour options too! How can one even decide between each style let alone each colour?!
However, the Olivia's, the Daisy's and the Lola's have always had a special place in my heart – they've been the main show stoppers for me, because to put it simply, they are me! They're so feminine, so detailed, so simple and so sophisticated, again with multiple colour options and with the most beautiful cut of the skirts, they are G as a dress!
I love every colour, and love even more that they offer various “nude” linings too; I'd own them all if I could, but my Mum chose well when she bought me the Olivia in Navy – the perfect colour for this time of year, and filling the gap in my wardrobe of the strapless sweetheart neckline.
I have to be honest that I had an inkling it'd be my gift, but there's more reasons for writing this blog post – it became far more than just a dress.
The brand behind the Instagram account responded to a comment I had written on their post of the Olivia in Navy, and then went out of their way to message me to let me know they'd be on hand if I needed any help with an order. A conversation arose – it wasn't just about getting a potential sale, it was about engaging with their customers, the ones who can't buy too. It felt personal, and made me want to buy from them even more! It's as though they were securing me for when I was in a position to spend such money on a garment, I'd go to them first! As a newbie on the Instagram scene, I'm engaging with brands more than ever before – and noticing those who reply more than those who don't, because there really aren't many. I understand that thee brands have thousands of followers and busy teams behind them, but even as a social media novice I know that engagement is key, and know of many influencers who dedicate a time slot to purely just replying to comments after they post. After all, customers in the form of followers are just as important. I've been shocked at the amount of brands who don't acknowledge engagement from their followers, and though you'd be forgiven for assuming it'd be the higher priced brands who'd do this, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Team Merabi were far from guilty of such behaviour. No arrogance from this brand, even with their higher price points; there's acknowledgement and appreciation for all engagement from customers and followers alike, those who can buy, and those who can't too. That makes the quote of the start of 2020 even more relevant and evident - “in a world where you can be anything, be kind” and Team Merabi certainly are, going above and beyond in every way, shape and form.
Nevertheless, Mum surprised me with the Navy Olivia, and when the parcel arrived I had even more reason to be excited to receive something from a brand I had longed to receive from for so long. In a metallic pink, bubble-protected package, with just the brand name across the front, it was clear that luxuriousness didn't just stop at the dresses – it was already shaping up to exceed my expectations of all these years. I had to wait 3 days to open it until the morning of my 30th, and whilst it sat in the living room with other presents, all I could see was a culmination of years worth of desire in one pink parcel, all for me, on my special, 30th birthday.
Upon opening on the big day, I was excited, but also relieved – finally, I was getting to open a Nadine Merabi parcel! Beneath the pink packaging was a gorgeous white box with a ribbon bow to open, and as I slowly loosened the tie and lifted the lid, I couldn't yet see the dress, but instead, another reason to fall in love with the brand even more. Inside the lid of the box was a message - “You deserve every beautiful thing life has to offer”
“Why thank you, Nadine!” was my first thought, it was the morning of my 30th after all! How personable, how touching, how special. So after thanking Nadine in my head for such a lovely message, I carefully unwrapped the tissue paper to the garment bag. Yes, garment bag. The crisp white, neatly folded garment bag to protect the dress. I already own garment bags from all the moving house I've done over the years – but this one was special, and it was a surprise! Underneath the garment bag was the beautifully, carefully folded bodice of the dress, the boning, the lace and the gorgeous gold lining, all staring at me. And there's more – 2 pieces of card. One had a swatch of lace from the dress, a genius touch to make outfit matching so much easier when shopping, perfectly sized to fit in your purse! The other was what looked like a hand-written note, to me. Not just a customer, addressed to me and my name. Not too formal, starting off with a casual “hey” but charming still. The note thanked me for my order and hoped I enjoy my new dress as much as the Merabi team do – oh Team Merabi, I certainly will!
Then out came the dress, and as I held it by the bust cups and lifted it out of the box I felt special. I really did. It was more than worth the wait. It was heavy – I could feel the quality in the weight, and what's more, the luxuriousness of the lace was evident. The soft satin lining, the boning in the structured bodice and the extra fabric for the big skirt all solidified my opinions of the brand. It all proved I was right to constantly look at their collections even with no means to buy. It proved I was right for trusting that the product would be as incredible as it seemed. It was as though everything just slotted into place perfectly.
Next came the trying on, and oh my word it fit perfectly! The labels told me that it'd be a squeeze to get into, and this is perfectly normal given the style of the dress – thanks again, team Merabi! As it was zipped up, I suddenly felt a warmth inside, a happiness and a pure satisfaction. I ran my finger-tips down my body as I looked in the mirror, turned to see the back, lifted the weighty skirt and of course, did a twirl. I was 30 now, and this was my Merabi moment, worth the wait and more than just a dress, but an entire experience.
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