A NEW occasion wear, bridal and prom hire shop has opened in Brierley Hill.

La Robe De Valeries is a joint venture between established shop owners Valerie Wylde, owner of Polly’s Tea Room, and Michelle Foxall, owner of MB Nails.

The pair have opened the new venture in Mill Street just a few doors away from their existing businesses.

La Robe De Valeries will initially focus on women’s dress hire, including wedding dresses, prom dresses and other occasion wear, but they hope to develop the business quickly to offer men’s suit hire and wedding packages.

Michelle said: “These days there’s a lot of pressure to spend big on a wedding but not everyone can afford it.

“As Val and I already run businesses which offer services to weddings – Val with the catering and me with the nails and makeup – we thought why not take it one step further and also hire-out beautiful dresses at an affordable price.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve managed to do inside our little shop and so excited to begin trading.”

Dudley South MP Mike Wood, who was invited along for the official opening, said: “It’s so great to see local people like Val and Michelle seeing a gap in the market and seizing the opportunity to setup a new business.

“Brierley Hill town centre is going to benefit hugely from millions of pounds of funding over the next few years, but it is local entrepreneurs who will create the thriving town centre we all want to see – so I really want to congratulate Val and Michelle and wish them the very best of luck with their new venture.”

Brierley Hill councillor Adam Davies, who was also invited to support the launch, said: “Val and Michelle have done a really great job with the shop and it’s so great to see them launch another business right here in the heart of our town.

“Small and medium sized businesses are what make a town centre interesting, and with a lot of improvements about to happen in Brierley Hill thanks to our various funding wins, I hope this venture by Val and Michelle will be one of many success stories we see shaping the future of our town centre.”