Michele Dirks Clothier Rides The Fickle Currents Of Fashion, Willing To Take Risks For Sake Of Style

During a junior high school career day 20 years ago, Michele Dirks insisted upon being placed in Pizzaz, the coolest clothing store in town.

“It was the place everybody wanted to shop,” said Dirks, now 33.

Dirks hopes her new store, de Rika, will win the same place in the hearts of Spokane’s shoppers.

Just six months after opening de Rika in downtown Spokane’s Crescent Court, Dirks has solidified a site for her second shop. It’s due to open April 1 in Coeur d’Alene’s Silver Lake Mall. Plans are also in the works for a third store to open in August in her hometown - Moscow, Idaho - though nothing’s final.

Dirks’ motto “because you deserve an alternative” plays true in de Rika. It’s a funky store, with different styles and colors in every corner. Black overalls, flowered yellow cardigans and brown corduroy shirts all have a place.

People of all sizes and ages have found a style that suits them in de Rika, said Dirks. She rails against national clothing chains that “find an item that works and buy it in 10 colors.

“I don’t shop that way,” Dirks said. “We’re going to help you find what fits your style.”

Still, stocking her store with a wide variety of styles is somewhat of a risk. Her profit margin is smaller than that of chain stores, she said. Also, some of the items won’t sell in Spokane, which is more conservative than the trendy Seattle and Los Angeles markets where Dirks buys.

“Some things that I have are never going to sell,” she said. But, she said with a laugh, “Fashion is a risk.”

Dirks’ buying strategy is to keep her eyes open. She reads teen magazines and watches popular TV shows to see what people are wearing. But mostly, she relies on experience and gut instinct.

Building de Rika was a lifelong dream for Dirks, who’s worked in retail since her teenage years of fascination with shops like Pizzaz, which is no longer in business. Pizzaz also catered to the contemporary young adult crowd.

“I have people asking me every day, ‘what possessed you,’ but I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Dirks said. “To come as far as I’ve come, I’ve had to have a passion for it.”

After graduating from the University of Idaho with a bachelor of science in clothing textiles and design, she worked in a men’s clothing store. Within months, she was promoted to assistant buyer, went on buying trips to Seattle and helped the owner develop a buying plan.

“The opportunity was incredible,” Dirks said.

Dirks herself is quite a fashion plate. In an entirely black outfit, from a flowered lace blouse, to a satin vest and miniskirt, Dirks looks ready to hit the clubs and dance until dawn.

“I wear a lot of hats,” she said.

Two of those hats are wife and mother. In each step of her life, Dirks followed the career of her husband, Bret, now a neurosurgeon at Kootenai Medical Center. Along the way, they had two children whose names, Derek and Erika, were combined to name de Rika.

Following Bret’s career shaped Dirks’ early experience in retail. When he went to medical school in Seattle, Dirks went to work at The Bon Marche in Bellevue as an assistant manager and was promoted to assistant buyer in 18 months.

When Bret was assigned a six-year residency in Iowa City, Dirks went to work for Younkers, the largest department store in the city, as a merchandising manager.

When Younkers laid off Dirks due to a corporate restructuring, she forayed into another talent area - cooking - and opened a catering business for two years.

Making an abrupt change, Dirks went to work for TAP, a pharmaceutical company. For the next two years, she sold a treatment for prostate cancer.

“It was an easy sell,” Dirks said.

The pharmaceutical company, which constantly rewarded her performance with gifts, trips and personal messages from the company president, taught her how employees should be treated. When Bret finished his residency and landed the job at Kootenai Medical Center, it was Dirks’ turn to put her career goal into action.

The following year, she opened de Rika.

“When I opened this store, I went crazy thinking I don’t have to do anything anybody else’s way,” Dirks said.

Though Dirks has faith in the future of downtown Spokane, she’s realistic.

“If it works like it can, I’ve gotten in on the ground level of something really great,” Dirks said. But, she added, “If the anchors go, we’re all to follow. That’s unfortunate, but that’s reality.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo