Dresses Destroyed
By: Rena Sarigianopoulos, KARE
Updated: January 3, 2012
Bridal shop Priscilla of Boston has gone out of business and closed its shops around the country.
The store in Edina, Minnesota closed over the weekend, and how they got rid of the leftover merchandise has some people upset.
"I'm just seeing gowns, thousands of dollars of gowns, that were being spray-painted and thrown in the dumpster," says Bessie Giannakakis, owner of Bessie's Boutique.
Workers were taking the dresses and marking them with bright orange spray paint.
Witnesses say it wasn't just bridal gowns, other dresses, shoes, slippers, hair ties and other items were also being tossed.
Those who saw it happen, had the same question.
"Why didn't they donate them to needy people?" asked Judy Mjoness, who works at a nearby salon.
We asked Priscilla of Boston that very question.
Why didn't they donate the dresses to charity?
They gave us this statement through email:
"Priscilla of Boston has always donated quality bridal gowns to a variety of charitable causes. We do not, however, donate unsaleable dresses that are damaged, soiled or in otherwise poor condition," wrote the company's President Patrick Walsh.
The women we spoke with say other than the newly spray-painted marks, the dresses could have very easily gone to a charity.
Regardless of the reasons behind the company's decision, those who witnessed the destruction of the gowns, say it was nothing short of wasteful.
"You would never in your life think let's spray paint a dress. Give it to somebody who need it, somebody that doesn't have the money," said Giannakakis.
The store in Edina, Minnesota closed over the weekend, and how they got rid of the leftover merchandise has some people upset.
"I'm just seeing gowns, thousands of dollars of gowns, that were being spray-painted and thrown in the dumpster," says Bessie Giannakakis, owner of Bessie's Boutique.
Workers were taking the dresses and marking them with bright orange spray paint.
Witnesses say it wasn't just bridal gowns, other dresses, shoes, slippers, hair ties and other items were also being tossed.
Those who saw it happen, had the same question.
"Why didn't they donate them to needy people?" asked Judy Mjoness, who works at a nearby salon.
We asked Priscilla of Boston that very question.
Why didn't they donate the dresses to charity?
They gave us this statement through email:
"Priscilla of Boston has always donated quality bridal gowns to a variety of charitable causes. We do not, however, donate unsaleable dresses that are damaged, soiled or in otherwise poor condition," wrote the company's President Patrick Walsh.
The women we spoke with say other than the newly spray-painted marks, the dresses could have very easily gone to a charity.
Regardless of the reasons behind the company's decision, those who witnessed the destruction of the gowns, say it was nothing short of wasteful.
"You would never in your life think let's spray paint a dress. Give it to somebody who need it, somebody that doesn't have the money," said Giannakakis.
