By JOHN EBY

Dowagiac Daily News

After a two-month renovation, Iconik opened its new home on Friday, Oct. 1, a block south in the former framing shop at 206 S. Front St.

In fact, when Jessica Sherman looks out the display windows the view is of her mother Cheryl’s store, Red Raven.

“I started out with my mom,” Jess said, “but I have a different eye. Stuff she likes I’m not necessarily drawn to, and I pick things she never would. In here we’ve gone for an earthier feel with neutral colors and natural wood” with old pallets and words such as “repurposing” and “upcycling.”

In the new location, Iconik, which opened for the ice festival Feb. 6 in John Wolff’s storefront at 140 S. Front St., “We’re going to do some hand-painted furniture, housewares” and pillows she hand-sews.

“We’re expanding the age range,” Sherman said Tuesday afternoon. “Down there we were kind of restricted because people felt it was for teen-agers.”

Her trendy clothing line she brought from St. Joseph’s Pop Fashion became the name of the Dowagiac store.

Sherman and Brian Fisher spelled it Iconik Clothing for “something memorable and different,” like some of the touches in the new location, such as the four doors.

“Our store offers trendy clothing for men and women at affordable prices,” Sherman said in February. “We also offer accessories such as purses, jewelry, scarves, wallets and hats. Brian and I also offer our handpainted canvases with original artwork.”

“We carry both our line and other small designers,” Sherman said. “We do have several staple lines from larger companies, but for the most part we prefer to work with people who are just starting out and not offered everywhere. We want to offer something different than the malls.”

The couple live downtown in an apartment above the Wood Fire.

Shermans are friends with Laura Kinzler, owner of Laurie Anne’s.

Sherman is originally from New York, Fisher from Coloma/Watervliet.

Pop Fashion, which was located at 306 State St. in downtown St. Joseph, was a name she moved with from Alabama.

“My family moved from Alabama to Michigan and I featured a small clothing line in a shared space with my mom’s antique store, named Wild Goose Chase Antiques and Interiors,” Sherman said. “She since changed to a clothing store also named Alternate Route, 315 State St., St. Joseph” before relocating Red Raven in the former Woolworth store and theater.

Brian does woodworking that can be seen around the store.

“He refinished a factory cart and turned it into a beautiful coffee table. He is very talented!”

“This machine is a new cutting-edge way to apply images to a variety of materials,” she explained. “With the direct-to garment printer we have the ability to print a shirt within minutes. We can scan in photos or drawings and capture the details of the original image. We can print every pencil line in drawings. The direct-to garment printer allows for a larger print area, which allows for all over print, meaning over seam and collars.”

“We like” Dowagiac, Sherman said. “It’s a cute town. We enjoy being here, and we’ve had a great response from the community, so we’re happy.”

The intriguing back wall Brian made from four doors — two hung conventionally and two upside down so their knobs are more or less in line.

They pulled out old carpeting and restored the hardwood floors, though the natural inclination is to look up admiringly at the tall tin ceilings.

“It gives it a lot of character and makes it bright in here,” she said.

Paul Pugh, who owns the building, was “pretty surprised” at the passion Jess and Brian poured into the project as tenants.

“It was a lot more than I think he expected us to do to get open,” Sherman said, but “it’s my store, so I want it to completely reflect us. We take pride in all of it. We can’t say ‘oh, it’s someone else’s building’ and expect people to understand.”