For sisters Samantha Vu, Anna Tran and Nikki Vu, mother truly knows best.
The sisters are the owners of local business Blush Formal and Bridal Salon, a full-service salon that houses affordable couture dresses for all formal occasions, including weddings, formals, sorority ceremonies, debutante balls, Mardi Gras balls, homecomings and proms.
Blush is located next door to their mother’s own tailor store, and without her, the salon wouldn’t have been possible.
“Our mother has really been the driving force behind us opening the store and pursuing our passion because it was her passion too,” Tran said.
Tran’s mother is a seamstress and has worked her entire life customizing dresses. Tran said her mother loved being surrounded by dresses, and without much education, her only way of being around them was to become a tailor.
When Tran, an LSU alumna, finished school, her mother told her it was time for she and her sisters to open the bridal salon they had always dreamed of. Though Tran was hesitant, her mother gave her the support and encouragement she needed.
“She’s a wonder woman,” Tran said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had the energy that she has, and I don’t know where she gets it from. She’s one of a kind.”
Now, the sisters are using all their mother has taught them to further their dream. Twice a year they go to market showcases to watch runway shows and attend seminars to keep up with the ever-changing fashion world.
Tran said what’s most important about looking for collections to bring to the store is to make sure there are quality dresses for every price point, whether a customer’s budget is $500 or $5,000.
At Blush, it’s the customers who fuel the selections. One of the salon’s mottos is to stay on trend while still accommodating the customer base.
“We’re in southern Louisiana, and we’re trendy here but not as fashion forward as New York and Los Angeles,” Tran said. “So we keep in mind the area and don’t overkill with trendiness — like two pieces and floral prints — but we do have some selections like that to offer girls who are trendy and fashion forward.”
Though the eldest sisters have always had a strong commitment to Blush, the youngest, marketing senior Nikki Vu, is experiencing a newfound passion for the fashion industry. Vu said working at the salon with her sisters has changed the course of her life.
Vu first set out to go into nursing, but working with her sisters as a consultant and social media managerfor the salon made her realize bridal industry marketing was what she really wanted to do.
“At first, I wasn’t really that involved, but my sisters would take me to market and from there on, I got really into it,” Vu said. “Having a degree in marketing could teach me how to market our business better.”
Vu said the core of the industry is giving customers a good experience and forming relationships with them, which is what she appreciates most and what she wasn’t getting from her previous major.
“My sisters never really had this kind of bridal experience,” Vu said. “So when you give someone that experience, it’s all about being personable and building a bond with them. When you’re connecting with people it makes you more passionate about what you do.”
For Vu, the journey she goes on with the customers is something she holds dear. Some women and girls come to Blush for prom dresses, and years later, return as brides.

Gallery • 14 Photos

Zoe Geauthreaux

A newly stocked bridal gown is displayed in the window with a floral backdrop on Monday, Aug. 24, 2015, at Blush Formal and Bridal Salon.