After spending 10 years in California working in the fashion industry, West Des Moines-native Rebekah Risbeck moved back home to pursue her dream of opening her own business. Risbeck opened a small boutique on the first floor of the AP Lofts apartment building just south of downtown Des Moines in May 2011. She opened the shop, which is targeted toward young female students and professionals, because she felt Des Moines lacked affordable, quality fashions. This September, she opened a second, larger location in West Glen Town Center in West Des Moines. She hopes to continue opening stores around the Midwest, and is just waiting for “whatever unfolds naturally.”

How did you get interested in fashion?

Central Campus (high school) got me interested in fashion during a trip to Chicago. I didn’t do the design route, which is what a lot of people think about when they think fashion. I studied the business and product development side of it. So when I graduated from FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) I was a specifications technician, which is numbers driven, a lot of calculating, a lot of back and forth with factories. I was essentially the middleman between designers and factories. So designers would hand off a design and I would turn it into something tangible.

Then five years into it, I had an opportunity to get into the buying field, which is completely different than product development. A buying department is forecasting what the next season is, looking at their demographics and identifying their market. So it’s a lot of calculated risks in buying. I started establishing relationships with my vendors over the course of many years as a buyer. And it kind of dawned on me that my hometown was kind of lacking affordable fashions. I wanted to see if I could get out there and take the risk of opening. I opened the downtown location in May 2011 and the West Glen location in September.

There’s not really a lot of retail downtown. Why did you choose to open up a shop in this location?

I was living in Los Angeles and working in fashion, while on the weekends I would work on my business plan and do the market research. I realized very quickly that this was a niche and there wasn’t really anything like it. However, I was going off a small budget and needed to get a loan. I came across a contest that AP Lofts was having at the time. It was a YouTube video contest (where entrepreneurs gave ideas), and I made it to the finals and flew down here to speak with a panel of judges. I ended up winning four months of free rent and an iPad. I then obtained a private loan. I was relying on word of mouth (for customers) and people just coming in and getting it. So now when people see something they like on TV or in a magazine or online, they can find here the next week. I’m eliminating the years it would take for it to trickle down to a national retailer. I fly out to L.A. at least once a month, to get the best price and maintain relationships with my vendors. I buy small quantities and move products quickly.

How did you get started?

I’m a part of the (state of Iowa’s) Targeted Small Business (Assistance Program) here in Des Moines, and they’ve been great at counseling me and helping me obtain financial assistance. I really got started with a small bit of savings and taking baby steps. I started in a store that’s only 200 square feet and now I’m in two stores. I didn’t want to get in over my head. I would highly recommend to someone starting a business out of pocket to not go crazy and stack up loans that you’re unable to pay back. Learn your demographic first.

Being here 24/7 has helped too, because I really got to know my customers. I’ve helped with putting together engagement outfits and cocktail attire, and for other huge moments in women’s lives. I really identify with my market and I think that is key. I’m a 20-something working professional who doesn’t have a budget for expensive items, but who also appreciates well-constructed clothes. My prices are around $40, so I don’t feel like I’m taking advantage of the customers.

Do you have any plans to open more stores?

My long-term goal was to franchise. I did want to open a second store, just not in Des Moines. That happened unexpectedly – really because of the demand here – I needed to explore a larger store. We’ll see in the future if (the West Glen) store will absorb (the downtown store), but right now, there’s a big enough market for both, which I didn’t think there would be.

I still plan on franchising. I rely heavily on social media and my website, and get a lot of orders from out of state. So I’m really trying to identify what that next step is, whether it’s Chicago or Minnesota or Kansas City.