French Connection, U.K. coming to Iowa City

IOWA CITY - After five years, Cheap and Chic will close and reopen as the French Connection, U.K. line serving men and women, to better serve the evolving retail market.

Catherine Champion, the owner of Cheap and Chic, 105 S. Dubuque St., and Catherine's, 7 S. Dubuque St., said Iowa City has a need for more men's clothing stores.

'People come into Catherine's and ask constantly for us to open a men's store,” she said. 'So let's do it. There's a market.”

This is the second change that space has undergone.

Cheap and Chic was originally a men's store named Champion, which was open for a year. Cheap and Chic came to be after Champion saw the need for a women's boutique store with affordable prices.

But on Aug. 1, the store will revert to offering men's clothing. Champion said she is excited to offer the city a new store, now that women's boutiques have become more common in Iowa City.

'When Cheap and Chic opened it was innovative in terms of product and price,” she said. 'Now there's other stores for it.”

Champion has worked with the French Connection in the past and said it is a brand that appeals to shoppers between 16 to 35 years old.

'They're a natural choice,” she said. 'It's known for a million different things. It's really a great place for fashion at an amazing price.”

Champion said most clothing items will be under $100.

In the end, she said the store is very adaptable to change, adding that if The French Connection does not work out, she will simply turn to a different market.

'It's an easy flip with the store,” Champion said. 'I think in retail it's OK to reinvent yourself and do new things all the time.”

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