By DAVID DUPONT
BG INDEPENDENT NEWS
A shopping trip for clothes that left Kati Thompson dissatisfied provided the impetus to launch her new business.
Eden Fashion Boutique, 186 S. Main St., Bowling Green, will mark its grand opening with a ribbon cutting Friday at 11:30 a.m. The shop will feature contemporary women’s clothing and accessories, including the active leisure line Albion. Thompson said Eden will be the exclusive Ohio dealer for the line.
Still Thompson envisions her shop as something more. She wants Eden Boutique to be “a place for all women to gather and have fun and feel love. I know that has nothing to do with clothes, but I just want to be that space, that positive atmosphere.”
That means having a spacious interior that not only displays the clothing well, but is easy to move around in. Thompson and her husband, Dave Thompson, have six children, including two foster kids.
Thompson said she knows what it’s like to try to move around a shop with a stroller. She also made sure the restroom can accommodate a mother with children.
Also, “I wanted to bring an opportunity for women of all sizes to shop together.”
When Thompson went out to Los Angeles to purchase inventory, she brought a team – her sister and a couple friends. “Each of us have different body types.” They could looked at the clothing differently. So they may say: “That looks cute on you, but not on me.”
The stock includes a large selection of denim, so women can find just the jeans that fit just right.
“I tried to bring in a lot of unique fabrics and patterns, not something you can pick up any store in the mall,” she said. “The premise is we’ll only have a limited number of items. When it’s gone, it’s gone, so everyone in town isn’t walking around wearing the same thing.”
That’s exactly what she was looking for that she didn’t find earlier this year. A 2004 marketing graduate from Bowling Green State University, she envisioned what the perfect shop for her would be.
“I wanted to come into a space that was well curated with a unique selection of items, not something everyone in town would have, and a place where the inventory would change regularly.”
Thompson said she knew she wanted to be in the 100 block of South Main, and on the west side of the street.
When Jamie Zulch moved her tailoring business to her home, Thompson knew she’d found her spot. The shop had the size and location she needed, and in Floyd Craft, a landlord who was easy to work with.
The Thompsons took possession on June 5, and set to work. It helped that Dave Thompson operates his own construction business, Thompson and Thompson Construction.
Thompson said that Zulch will do custom tailoring for the shop.
Downtown now boasts three boutiques. Eden joins the brand new shop on the Four Corners, Mode Elle Boutique, and across South Main, Ginny’s Inspired Fashions.
“I’ve talked with both these women. I feel we’re all excited to be here downtown together,” she said. “All three boutiques are targeting a different market. … The more opportunities we have for people to eat and shop, the better it is for our community as a whole.”
Eden Fashion Boutique will be open six days a week, Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The boutique can be reached at (419) 601-8611, info@edenfashionboutique.com, or by visiting http://edenfashionboutique.com/
