Ebony Rutherford remembers her first job out of college. It was a sales position in the corporate world that demanded a better wardrobe than the average student has in their closet. She ended up nearly breaking her bank account getting the right clothes for the job.
That experience inspired Rutherford to start
Trish’s Garage, a consulting business that helps students and recent grads put together a professional look on a budget.
"I want to help college students who are making the transition from school to work without breaking the bank," says Rutherford, who is also a seamstress. Part of her business is consulting on the best clothing buys to make. The other part is providing them with some affordable options.
"So you can find a pieces to put together with your cool jeans or skirt," Rutherford says.
Rutherford has graduated from
D:hive's BUILD program, which teaches business basics to aspiring entrepreneurs, and
TechTown's Retail Boot Camp program this year. "They were my spark of joy," she says. "If their resources weren’t available to me my business wouldn’t be where it is right now."
The name Trish's Garage is play on t-shirts (which Rutherford loves) and the Motor City's heritage. "I took the word "shirts" and made it into a gird (Trish)," Rutherford says. She plans to open a retail outlet in Midtown or on the
Avenue of Fashion (Livernois in Detroit’s University District neighborhood) early next year.
Source: Ebony Rutherford, founder of Trish’s Garage
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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