A women's clothing boutique pops up on Woodward

A new pop-up retail shop has opened downtown. Ebony Rutherford hopes to be another Detroit entrepreneur success story, one that takes the opportunity of a pop-up store and makes the transition to a permanent location. Her women's clothing boutique, Trish's Garage, opened its doors with a soft opening on April 7 and a grand opening April 11.

The store features local clothing makers and emphasizes products made for women of every size and shape. Rutherford herself makes the peplums found in the store. Other local brands carried include shirts from Bruce Bailey, Quinn Hamilton's Firebrand Candle Company, and artwork from Brooke Ellis. Rutherford also provides free styling services.

Rutherford has worked hard to open Trish's Garage, taking advantage of a number of resources designed for Detroit entrepreneurs. She attended the TechTown Retail Boot Camp, where she says she learned to identify customers' needs rather than stocking only what she wants to sell. Rutherford also completed the D:Hive Build program, where she says she learned a foundation of business planning, pricing, and money management.

All of these lessons led to her eventual acceptance into the D:Hive Pilot pop-up program, situating her boutique next to the D:Hive storefront in the heart of downtown. It's another step that should help her make the transition to a permanent location.

"These experiences -- learning how to staff people, learning how to price merchandise -- will prepare me for the future," says Rutherford. "They're experiences I can show landlords when applying for locations."

Trish's Garage is open through May 31 and is located at 1249 Woodward Ave.

Source: Ebony Rutherford, owner of Trish's Garage
Writer: MJ Galbraith

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