Designer

Mary Lou Scherer

Mary Lou and husband, Mark

Meet Mary Lou

Mary Lou has been designing dresses from the time she was three years old drawing “stick” people and drawing dresses on them according to her mother.  She attended the University of Iowa and went on to become a Couturiere from the National Institute of Dress Design which at that time affiliated with Northwestern University.  She designed and made dresses and gowns from her studio in 1969 then opened a retail store in 1972 which inventoried wedding gowns and ready-to-wear clothing.  She became a professional model at the age of fourteen (with a chaperone of course!) and modeled bridal gowns among other articles of clothing such as fur coats, dresses and pantsuits.  Always sketching in her spare time, she had the advantage of meeting Lenny Baron (now deceased for many years) who was a bridal promoter.  He took some of her sketches to various manufacturers and she instantly became a free-lance bridal designer for several manufacturers.  It was exciting, if one company did not use her sketches another one did!

Meeting many owners in the bridal business, Mary Lou became involved with a group of stores who decided to have their own line of gowns.  She became part of a team that did the designing.  They hired various manufacturers to construct the gowns and eventually they had the gowns made in China. These gowns were certainly less money than the advertised gowns and it worked very well and still does.

Mary Lou’s Family

In Memory

Lisa’s Legacy

Mary Lou’s daughter, Lisa, managed the store for about 25 years while Mary Lou constantly worked on designing and consulting with other stores.  The worst thing that can happen to a parent happened. Lisa, died of colon cancer, in May 2014. Facing the devastating loss, Mary Lou wanted to do something in her memory. Lisa was always interested in helping brides on a budget. Keeping this in mind, Mary Lou studied and collected data for about three years. When she came to her conclusions, as stated above, Lisa Lou was born. 

This line of wedding gowns is didicated to our daughter, Lisa, who was not only a daughter, but a great friend and the store manager for over 25 years.

Mary Lou’s daughters

Gorgeous Gowns at Perfect Prices

You will see many pictures on this web site to do your diligent shopping. You have the advantage of obtaining haute couture gowns at affordable prices, knowing they are constructed with utmost detail and attention to every aspects of the construction process. No vendor can compete with these gowns at the prices they are because of the creativity of the development. 

You also have the advantage of working with Mary Lou’s team or with Mary Lou when you are ready to purchase one of these magnificent gowns. They will help you with ordering and sizing and understanding the concept of “line design” to show off all of the positive aspects of your figure.  God has given all of us a unique look and talent. This team from Lisa Lou will promote your individual style to the fullest.

Personal wedding stylist

Let’s make your wedding dress dreams come true!