In 1985, Salwa and Juann, a mother and daughter team, established a store in the South End to restore antique wedding gowns and veils that were passed down from mother to daughter. With their team of designers and seamstresses they began recreating, transforming, and customizing wedding gowns for the modern bride. In 1990, they moved to Newbury Street, Boston's famous fashion district nestled in the heart of historical Back Bay. They soon realized that Newbury Street was in need for Haute Couture Wedding and Evening Gowns. They began to import European Bridal and Evening gowns for designers such as Herve, Mariee de France, and Domo Adami.

In 1995, L'elite expanded and evolved adding to the Bridal and Evening Collections, red carpet designers such as Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Monique