Business
Posted on Mon, Mar. 10, 2008 10:15 PM
Startup: Donna’s Dress Shop combines two dreams into one
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Business:
Donna’s Dress Shop
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 “I put my two dreams of treasure-finding and shop-owning together,” says Donna Foulk, who opened her vintage- and new-clothing shop, at 1415 W. 39th St. in Kansas City, in September. |
About the business: The vintage- and new-clothing shop opened in September.
Owner: Donna Foulk
Owner’s role: “There is a lot of backstage work to the vintage business. If I’m at home, there’s a load of vintage laundry in the washer and another stack waiting to be steamed, pressed and possibly repaired. It’s important to me to have a shop full of clothing in fantastic condition.”
Why did you decide the market was right for a vintage clothes retail shop in KC?
“Shops often reflect the personalities of their owners. I’ve been wearing vintage clothes for well over 10 years and am often complimented on a frock or handbag, often asked where to find something similar.”
How long did it take you to start your business?
“When I was 5, I inherited an old crank cash register from my aunt and uncle’s country gas station, and since then, I’ve always dreamed of having my own shop. I would always attend weekend flea markets with my dad, stretching my allowance and loading up on unique treasure.
“For years, I have squirreled things away that I hoped to one day put in my shop. Twenty-some years later, I put my two dreams of treasure-finding and shop-owning together.”
How does your life experience fit into owning a vintage dress shop?
“My education in vintage began on day one. As a baby, I slept in a Victorian crib, and mom used to push me down the streets of suburbia in an antique buggy. I’ve been surrounded by these things all my life.”
What is your formal educational background?
“My formal education is in sociology and anthropology, with an emphasis in symbolic anthropology and material culture. I worked for several years as an anthropologist for a research company before switching gears and opening my own shop.”
What are some of the challenges of starting a retail shop?
“One of the biggest challenges of being in the vintage business, as in all businesses, is managing time. I spend as much time finding, cleaning and preparing items as I actually spend in the shop. I’m always out searching for great vintage clothing, bags and jewelry.”
How did you select your location?
“Midtown has long been a well-known area for vintage shops. The building that I am in was a longtime vintage shop, Revue Boutique, which now sells new clothing. My presence there came about through my relationship with the owner of Revue, Terry Richardson.”
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to start a retail business?
“Work for and talk to other retailers to learn the trade. I learned a lot about what does and does not sell by working my way through grad school as a picker (one who buys to resell) for vintage shops in Kentucky..”
