Downtown stores add to women’s, children’s clothing options

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BY CARA PESEK / Lincoln Journal Star

The end of last month, Matel Rokke and her sister, Scoie Loop, filled a small shop downtown with jeans and soft sweaters and jewelry and wrap dresses, and opened for business.

They named the shop Tsuru — Japanese for “Crane.”

They wanted a name that alluded to the sky, one of Rokke’s favorite things about Nebraska.

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Co-owner Matel Rokke is reflected among items for sale Tuesday in her clothing store, Tsuru, at 134 N. 13th St. (Heidi Hoffman)

Co-owner Matel Rokke is reflected among items for sale Tuesday in her clothing store, Tsuru, at 134 N. 13th St. (Heidi Hoffman)

“It’s kind of like our own ocean,” she said.

Not long ago, Rokke moved back to Nebraska from the East Coast, where she attended graduate school for photography.

Next month, her sister will move home from Colorado.

Rokke loves lots of things about Nebraska — the sky, of course; the low cost of living; her old friends.

But for years, she and her sister had wished for more shopping options, which led to conversations about opening a boutique.

This year, the time seemed right.

Two women’s clothing shops — Sunny’s Boutique and Stella — opened downtown last year. A few years before, The Black Market, a clothing exchange, moved into the old Gold’s building. 

They joined existing retailers The Post & Nickel and vintage shops Rialto Extra and Ruby Begonia’s (where Rokke worked for years). For the first time, downtown felt like a shopping destination. 

“The more we have down here, the better it is for all of us,” Rokke said.

Rokke said she was careful to select clothing that complemented — rather than competed with — the offerings at other downtown shops. Her goal is to offer things that are stylish but classic, and she carries clothing brands like Free People and Velvet, as well as shoes and handbags by Pink Studio.

“I’m a shoe freak,” she said.

In addition, she carries some locally made jewelry and hopes to branch out to include more locally made things.

A few blocks away, another clothing store specializing in locally made clothing has also opened.

Amy Marten opened children’s clothing store My Modern Life just under two weeks ago.

The clothes — dresses, trendy jumpers and other pieces — are made from vintage fabrics by local seamstresses.

“We’re trying to be Earth-friendly,” Marten said.

Like Rokke, Marten had contemplated opening a store for years. For her, the idea started just before her older daughter, Sophia, was born three years ago.  As she prepared her nursery, she searched for furniture that was functional, but also sleek and stylish.

She couldn’t find anything in stores, she said, but was able to find what she wanted online. She carries the same brand of furniture in her shop that she has in her home.

Marten also carries handmade toys, pillows and blankets and hopes to expand.

“We’re still a work in progress,” she said.

Rokke said her shop, too, continues to evolve. She hopes retail downtown does, too.

“I see Lincoln as being the right place at the right time,” she said.

Reach Cara Pesek at 473-7361 or cpesek@journalstar.com.