A small home business has grown and now joined fellow store owners on the square. Fifty 50, an apparel store owned by Emily Sigg, made its store front debut on Jan. 15. The new business is in the old Party Girls building at 7 E. Madison Ave.
Sigg said business has been good so far.
“Now that a lot more people know I’m here it’s starting to pick up,” she said.
Sigg grew up in Iola and graduated from Iola High School in 2006. She didn’t take a lot of art classes in high school but enjoyed art at Kansas State University.
“I was always interested in fine arts,” she said. “I love studio art, ceramics and photography was my emphasis.”
After graduating from K-State with a fine arts degree she substitute taught but wanted to pursue something with her major. Opening a business was what she dreamed of doing.
“It was something we (her husband Austin) had always talked about doing so we just leapt,” she said.
The store houses a lot of fan wear. There are T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and other sports apparel. Sigg said she does a lot of custom orders, too.
When she’s not at the store she also coaches for Iola. She was active in sports in high school and played basketball for Johnson County Community College. She coaches varsity volleyball and freshman girls basketball. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her 19-month-old daughter and Austin. Coming back to Iola after college was something Austin and she knew they always wanted to do.
“We were both from here and we are really close to our families,” she said. “We wanted to move back here. I like Iola.”
Sigg has many goals for Fifty 50. She hopes to sell more online and have a full blown website.
“I want to use the vinyl machine, screen printing and even do embroidery in the future,” she said. “I have a lot ideas.”
She recently purchased a screen printing machine that will help her do large quantities faster. The store can also make signs and decals.
“I’m a firm believer in doing what you love,” she said. “I’m happy.”
The store is currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
New venture opens in Iola downtown
