Grace Lee Chen launched Birdy Grey from her Los Angeles living room, hoping one day to hit $5 million in sales. Seven years later, the affordable bridesmaid dress brand has surpassed $100 million in revenue—and expanded into groomsmen suits.
But Birdy Grey’s growth isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the thoughtful way Grace scaled—by listening closely to customers, expanding product lines with intention, and turning $10 Instagram ads into viral visibility. Here’s how Birdy Grey grew from a side hustle to a viral brand with staying power.
Letting customer feedback shape the product roadmap
From the start, Grace built Birdy Grey’s product strategy around direct customer input. She embraced feedback from every available source—Instagram polls, Facebook groups, DMs, formal surveys, and third-party wedding platforms.
“Our customer loves to give us feedback,” she said. “Whether it’s color, silhouettes, fabrics, wedding vibes—they’re not afraid to reach out and tell us what they want.”
This constant dialogue helped the team make smart, low-risk inventory decisions and stay ahead of emerging trends. For example, chiffon was once the brand’s bestselling fabric—but after months of growing mentions in surveys and social comments, satin overtook it. “Now it’s our top seller,” Grace said.
The brand also closely tracks metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) to fine-tune offerings and predict what brides want next.
Scaling by perfecting the core product first
Birdy Grey didn’t try to be everything at once. Instead, the team stayed focused on doing one thing exceptionally well: bridesmaid dresses.
“Perfect your core product,” Grace says. “Become famous for your core product. Then expand."
But after more than seven years, Grace took a strategic leap of faith. When approached by a partner to try dropshipping groomsmen suits, she went for it. “The business took off, and we knew the bride was also deciding on groomsmen colors. It made sense to expand there.”
With features like a stretch waistband and a touch of fabric flexibility, the suits are designed to keep groomsmen comfortable, especially on the dance floor. The suits also have dedicated website built around a simple, no-frills shopping journey. “Guys prefer a really easy shopping experience,” Grace says. “The less noise, the better.”
Building community through social-first storytelling
Grace credits Birdy Grey’s early momentum to scrappy, social-first marketing. “I launched the brand on Instagram spending $10 a day,” she says. With a background in editorial, she built a team fluent in content creation—crafting daily posts across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook that blend bridal inspiration, helpful tips, celebrity wedding features, and creative influencer partnerships.
“Our team really leans into edutainment,” Grace says. That mix of entertaining and educational content keeps followers engaged well beyond their wedding day. “We see very low attrition or people unfollowing us after the wedding.”
One of Birdy Grey’s most viral moments came when Sabrina Carpenter wore one of its bridesmaid dresses in a Domingo sketch on Saturday Night Live. "It was huge. We’ve never had a more viral momen,” Grace says.
Leaning into brand authenticity to stay competitive
As the category has grown more crowded, Grace believes authenticity is Birdy Grey’s advantage. “We are hyper-focused on what makes us defensible: our story, our values, and our content.”
That story resonates: Grace, a six-time bridesmaid herself, started the company with her best friend and maid of honor. Their lived experience helped them build with empathy—and develop affordable, stylish options real bridal parties actually want to wear.
“We kind of became known for our $99 bridesmaid dresses,” Grace said. “That’s our edge.”
From humble beginnings to SNL cameos, Birdy Grey’s growth didn’t happen by accident. Grace scaled with intention—always listening to her customers, testing before investing, and expanding only when the data said yes. For founders across industries, her approach is a reminder that sustainable growth starts with knowing your audience and building with them in mind.
Catch Grace’s full interview on the Shopify Masters YouTube channel to hear how Birdy Grey survived a pandemic wedding freeze and came back even stronger.
