Ground Floor: Longtime Iowa City store expands with Revival 119

IOWA CITY -- One of Sheila Davisson's customers told her Revival 119 was the customer's idea of a perfect Sunday.

'We have loungewear, candles, bath soap — everything you need to treat yourself on a Sunday afternoon,' Davisson explained.

Revival 119 is the retail expansion of Davisson's first store, Revival, a women's new and consignment clothing boutique. The new store is located right next door at 119 East College Street, in the former space of longtime Iowa City business Soap Opera, which closed in January.

Davisson said the new store allows her to expand retail categories like loungewear, intimates, and shoes, which were seeing lots of growth at Revival but for which she didn't have enough room.

In a nod to the former occupant of the space, Revival 119 also offers apothecary and gifts.

'We were saddened to hear Soap Opera was going to leave and wanted to pay homage to them,' Davisson said.

Davisson brings many years of retail experience to her new venture.

After growing up in Iowa City, Davisson attended college at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduation, she stayed in New York for several years and worked in various segments of the fashion industry.

In 2003, Davisson left the Big Apple for Portland, Oregon. She stopped in Iowa City along the way, intending to live at home for a few months while she saved some money.

She never left.

Davisson opened Revival in September 2003, bringing to Iowa City a boutique-style consignment store like those she had seen in Brooklyn, N.Y. Revival moved to its current location in the Pedestrian Mall in 2007. With double the space, the store's inventory evolved to its current blend of new boutique brands, locally-made items, resale, and vintage.

With her new store, Davisson said she has the challenge of learning new product categories and the buying habits of customers with respect to those categories. Despite the different offerings of the two stores, she is trying to maintain a single brand image.

'Personal style is what drives us,' she said. 'Our message is about honing your own personal style and expressing yourself through clothing. And it's the same for bath and body.'

With the additional space of a second location, Davisson said she also plans to grow her e-commerce business, Revival Online.

AT A GLANCE

• Owner: Sheila Davisson

• Business: Revival 119

• Address: 119 E. College St.

• Phone: (319) 337-4511

• Website: www.Revivaliowacity.com