David's Bridal Doesn't Want to Be the Wal-Mart of Weddings Anymore

To put it indelicately, if you thought you were too good for David’s Bridal, you’re not alone. "David’s Bridal’s reputation used to be that it was the Wal-Mart of bridal," says CEO Pamela B. Wallack, sitting in a nondescript conference room at the retailer’s Conshohocken, Pennsylvania headquarters. The offices do not by any means compare to those of a glossy startup, although the company sure is acting like one. "We’ve changed that internally and externally."

Wallack is the mastermind behind David’s Bridal’s ongoing transformation. The retail veteran began her career in the 1980s in Laura Ashley's bridal division, during a moment when puffed sleeves and high-collared lace were de rigueur. After nearly a decade at the company, Wallack was then recruited by Disney to help build its retail business. She did stints at several other retailers, including Coach, where she started the same day as Reed Krakoff.