When it comes to fashion, Dana Kramer is a believer in second chances.
This idea first came to life when she acquired lots of designer fabrics while working for a local designer. The fabrics had been disposed of, but Kramer wanted to give them a second wind.
So with the help of her friend (and now business partner), Angela Kreps, she repurposed the fabrics by sewing them into the backs of jean jackets.
The form of artistic expression quickly became something more, with Kramer and Kreps working up a following by selling their jackets at pop-up events and at the Glenwood Antique Mall in Overland Park.
Roughly three years later, the business, Encore, officially opened its first standalone storefront in August. In the store’s first few weeks, Kramer said she has seen her fair share of curious customers stopping in.
Encore opened at 7916 Floyd St.
- The store opened in a space just off 79th and Floyd streets in downtown Overland Park, near Maloney’s Bar and the future site of the new pavilion for the Overland Park Farmers’ Market.
- A chiropractic clinic previously occupied that space.
- Encore is open for shoppers from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and by appointment every other day of the week.
Encore offers jackets and accessories with a designer twist
The brand’s claim to fame is its jean jackets, which have repurposed designer scarves and fabrics sewn into the backs of them.
That includes materials from designers like Hermes, Coco Chanel and Burberry. Some of Encore’s jackets are also adorned with Kansas City Chiefs T-shirts sewn into them.
It’s an in-house operation, with Kreps sewing 90% of the items available at the store.
In this way, Kramer said, the designer materials can be repurposed into something new that also still respects the intent of the initial design.
“There’s so many beautiful things out there that have more life in them,” Kramer said. “That’s what differentiates us — nobody has the crazy depth of all of these pieces of fabric that we use. It’s wearable art, in a way.”
In addition to denim jackets, Kramer and Kreps have also incorporated designer logos and materials into other items like bucket hats and purses.
The name of the business comes, in part, from artist Margaret Putnam’s painting with the same name — which is featured on the home page of Encore’s website. Kramer’s husband gifted her the painting roughly 40 years ago.
But it also comes from the reaction that Kramer said she hopes the brand’s items evoke from fashionistas.
“We like to say we’re making something so beautiful that you just want to stand up and clap,” she said.
The business is also a personal encore
Though Kramer and Kreps both made their careers in the corporate world initially, they’re both lifelong enthusiasts of design and fashion.
As such, pivoting to a full-time career in the fashion world felt like a professional “encore” for them both.
“We’ve had all these different lives, and Encore is our encore,” Kramer said. “Encore became an encore for everybody — for the fabrics, for the jackets, and for ourselves.”
In addition to the new storefront, customers will also soon be able to find Encore’s jackets at other local stores — including at the Halls department store in Kansas City, Missouri, later this fall.
With Encore’s first standalone storefront, though, Kramer said she looks forward to getting further immersed in the downtown Overland Park community. Later on, the shop also plans to host events where customers can come in with a group and even design a jacket of their own.
With fellow local clothing stores like Studio 79 and Newton James nearby, Kramer said she’s excited for Encore to be a part of what she called the “fashion on Floyd” area, as it continues to grow.
“It is such a family-friendly place, and yet you can find high-end fashion,” she said. “Overland Park has such a cool vibe. They’re embracing the new and the vintage at the same time.”
Want more local business news? Redeveloping Shawnee shopping center will gain new Hispanic grocery store
