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| Goodies from our Valentino/Bergdorf adventure |
“When life offers you free flowers, say YES!”
My 17-year-old son said that to me when we walked into the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.
I usually shy away from such high-end establishments, but after a treat of tea at the Plaza Hotel, it seemed natural to browse the beauty of Bergdorf’s.
What we didn’t know was that the fashion designer, Valentino, was having a special promotion.
The scent of fresh-cut blooms greeted us as we entered the store. At a cheery pop-up flower cart, people stood in line for beautiful spring bouquets made of gerbera daisies, ranunculus, roses, and more. Courtesy of Valentino, flowers were free for everyone.
Brendan was eager to get in line.
I was not.
Pragmatically I thought—what would we do with flowers? We were flying home the next morning.
(Also, a small voice inside me also said, “I don’t belong here!”)
Then Brendan said, and I quote, “When life offers you free flowers, say YES! What kind of story do you want to tell?”
BAM! (Out of the mouths of babes, right?)
We got in line.
We learned that after the flowers, we could head to the second floor for a free pastry and the seventh floor for complimentary coffee or hot chocolate.
We were intrigued.
As we waited for our bouquet, a statuesque, stunning model slowly walked through the crowd in a $7K (!!) Valentino evening gown. This was unreal. (We were not in Santa Cruz anymore.)
Next, we made our way to the second floor for our pastry. Brendan chose a baguette, and I selected the rugelach. The happy server packaged them with a warm smile and told us not to miss the shoe section.
More fine-art gallery than shoe department, we perused the stunning creations.
Soon we took the escalators to home goods for our caffeinated delight. Brendan ordered a mocha, and I sipped an almond milk latte. We adorned each with the goodies at the side of the coffee cart. We were having so much fun!
Looking through the different departments, I found the perfect Earl Grey tea (Mariage Frères) for my favorite aunt. It was likely the least expensive thing in the entire building, but see what they did? I spent money there, after all.
(A small voice said, “Maybe I can belong here?”)
If I haven’t made it clear:
I am not Valentino’s target customer.
Nor am I Bergdorf Goodman’s ideal shopper.
But Valentino’s promotion, coupled with the welcoming staff I encountered while browsing Bergdorf’s, changed my perception of these two ultra-high-end brands.
For me, what they did was better than an ad in Vogue or a story online; previously elite and anonymous to me, now both labels elicit positive vibes.
What a wonderful example of building a brand.
Because who knows? Someday I might require an exquisite evening gown. I know exactly where I’ll look for it.
PS: I am so glad my son nudged me to say yes to this experience and that I have this story to tell!
What are you saying YES to today?