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Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Dubuque, we will share other developments in Tuesday’s edition.
A vintage clothing business has opened a store in downtown Dubuque.
CHAIN Vintage opened Friday at
373 Bluff St., above Monk’s Kaffee Pub. The store will share space with AMIDST Magazine and Dorothy Mae Photography/Memphis Made Hats, which both were already located in the building.
“Earlier this spring, the opportunity came along to have a store,” said owner Willie Tigges. “AMIDST Magazine and Dorothy Mae Photography were renting a space above Monk’s, and they had someone they were sharing the space with come out. It was a perfect opportunity for me.”
Tigges said CHAIN Vintage started in fall 2021, when he started doing pop-ups with vintage clothing pieces he had.
“I kind of have always had the idea of a vintage clothing store,” he said. “I always loved recycling and fashion. With the merging of the two, I can select things that are already out there instead of creating new goods, and I loved the sustainability of that.”
Since starting the pop-ups, customers expressed to Tigges their love of having vintage options in the community.
“During the pop-ups, I saw more success than I ever suspected,” he said. “Dubuque used to have a vintage store, but I wasn’t sure if this was something people would still be interested in. But there has been an outpouring of support.”
CHAIN Vintage was open Friday through Sunday for shopping, and for the rest of June and July, Tigges said, the store will be open on select dates that can be found online. Starting in August, the store will be open by appointment so shoppers can look for items on their schedule.
Tigges said he keeps a wide variety of sizes and styles in stock, with clothing dating from the 1920s to the early 2000s.
“I think it’s just going to be great to have something like this in Dubuque,” Tigges said. “I’m a huge lover of the city I live and grew up in.”
More information on CHAIN Vintage can be found online at CHAINvintage.com, as well as facebook.com/ChainVintageCo or on Instagram @chainvintageco.