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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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Beard Oil Company and Bridal Boutique Come to Gowanus

 Brooklyn Grooming and Schone Bridal have opened new Gowanus locations.
Beard Grooming Company and Bridal Shop Expand in Gowanus
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GOWANUS — A bridal boutique and a company that helps men keep their beards tamed and touchable both recently opened new locations in the same Gowanus building.

Brooklyn Grooming, which makes small batch beard oil, "gentleman's facial serum," tattoo balm and other products aimed at modern males, moved its production studio to the third floor of 530 Third Ave. last month, co-owner Alfredo Ortiz told DNAinfo.

In the same building, local wedding dress maker Schone Bride has opened a new retail space on the first floor.

Brooklyn Grooming, which Ortiz described as the first men's grooming line based in Brooklyn, started three years ago in Bushwick and then moved to a "really tiny studio" at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

With the beard boom showing no signs of slowing, the small manufacturer needed to expand. Ortiz and co-founder Mckenzie Santiago found an 800-square-foot space on Third Avenue and 12th Street.

They'll use the new space to whip up their mostly organic grooming concoctions, then bottle and label the products, which are often shipped with a thank you note.

Though thoughtfully constructed facial hair has become a hallmark of Brooklyn hipsters, Ortiz says the need for men's grooming supplies isn't a passing fad. Brooklyn Grooming's products are inspired by a 1930s attitude toward men's grooming, when shaving and hair care were "rituals," Ortiz said.

“Yes, beards are huge in Brooklyn [but] I don’t even known what ‘hipster’ means anymore,” Ortiz said. “I believe that men should take care of their appearance regardless.”

Schone Bride also specializes in using personal attention to make customers look and feel their best — in this case, brides.

Owner Rebecca Schoneveld Cheek started her bridal line in her Park Slope home, then opened her first retail location in Gowanus in 2013.

Schone moved last month to a larger retail space at 530 Third Ave. where she'll sell her own creations, along with dresses by more than a dozen other designers. Brides can book a one-on-one 90-minute consultation with a stylist to try on dresses.

The shop is open for business but it's in a soft opening phase through the end of August.

“[T]his new shop is a totally unique destination for brides in Brooklyn, New York and beyond who are craving something fresh, modern, and expressive,” the shop says on its website.