Altar’d State, a women’s fashion retailer with more than 120 boutiques in 37 states, unveiled Arula, its brand that was formerly known as A’Beautiful Soul. Altar’d State’s family of brands also includes Vow’d, a wedding brand with technology solutions for brides including try-at-home and virtual appointment features.
Arula is a unique mid-size and plus-size fashion brand that caters to women who wear sizes 10 to 24 by providing a curated shopping experience, the brand said, and the ethos of Arula is “inspired by beauty.” Arula currently has 17 boutiques in 14 states, including stand-alone boutiques to come in fall 2021. The womenswear brand features an assortment of dresses, tops, sweaters, jeans, bottoms, shoes, accessories and home decor.
“We value our guests above all, and what we heard from them is that the old name had some negative implications, and that’s not how we want our guests to feel,” said Dana Seguin, Arula’s chief marketing officer. “We always want our guests to feel beautiful, inspired and uplifted in every way, and we know that words matter. After reflecting on this feedback, we realized that we needed a new name, one that more accurately reflects what we stand for.”
Arula seeks to erase industry standards and raise the bar for the mid-size and plus-size shopping experience. The new boutiques offer an immersive shopping experience designed to engage the shopper’s senses: what she sees, what she hears, what she smells. Seguin and her team believe in the “mood-boosting power of beautiful things,” and the connection brought about when people lift each other up, the brand said. “A great outfit can change your mood, and great jeans make great days,” Seguin added.
“As a brand, we strive to be authentic and to always listen to our guest. She is at the center of everything we do. That is why we have changed our name, but not the clothing our guest has grown to love,” said Kim Parr, Arula vice president of merchandizing.
Altar’d State plans to grow the Arula brand and to expand into new markets, boasting a new, fully-expressed in-store shopping experience coming to life in the first of many stand-alone Arula locations, the brand said. On the new Arula online experience, the brand will feature models of different sizes, outfitting tools and new guest service features.
“This brand started from the heart,” said Aaron Walters, chairman and CEO of Altar’d State, Arula and Vow’d. “I have memories as a child shopping with my mother and seeing her break down and cry from never being able to find anything to wear. That stuck with me and has driven us to create beautiful options for those who have not had options in the past. Sixty-seven percent of women only have three percent of the floor space in shopping centers, and we are going to change this.”
