After more than three decades as a fixture of downtown Iowa City’s retail landscape, Textiles is closing its doors following the owner’s retirement announcement.
Owner Ritu Jain initially opened the women’s clothing store in 1991 as a fabric store on Linn Street. Her passion for fashion and philosophy of “Life is too short to be uncomfortable” created a business that celebrated individual style while prioritizing comfort and quality materials.
Her move to the Pedestrian Mall in 1992 at 109 S. Dubuque St. allowed Textiles to double in size and sales, creating the ability to expand inventory and transition to an apparel-only store. She initially started out with 10-15 pieces of clothing from India.
“Apparently I was six years old when I announced to my parents that I wanted to own my own business. Opening Textiles in 1991 was truly a dream come true,” she said, in an Iowa City Downtown District blog post. “Now after 34 years, it is time for me to retire. Owning and running Textiles has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”
Textiles has been an active participant in the Iowa City Downtown District for several years. Ms. Jain served on the board of directors and provided valuable insight for the business community while helping to establish “core retail events.” Additionally, her strong advocacy for the art scene led her to work alongside the Eastside Artists group to promote creativity within the community.
“Ritu and Textiles have been instrumental in shaping downtown Iowa City’s retail core for over three decades,” said Betsy Potter, ICDD’s executive director. “Her commitment to quality, community engagement, and retail innovation has helped establish our downtown as a vibrant shopping destination. Ritu’s participation on our board and her leadership in developing signature events like our annual Shop Crawls, Sidewalk Sales, and Gallery Walks created a blueprint for retail success that countless other businesses have followed. While we’ll miss her tremendous presence in our business community, her legacy will continue to influence downtown for years to come.”
Ms. Jain has expressed interest in selling the business to a new owner who would like to continue the store’s legacy. Retirement won’t keep her from continuing her connection to the community, however.
“Iowa City being the great place that it is, I am confident I will see you all at concerts, farmers markets, Hancher events, Artsfest, and at all the other wonderful events downtown. Thank you all for being a part of my life,” she said.
This article was based on a blogpost from the Iowa City Downtown District.
