Name of business: Simply Bling
Type of business: Custom bracelet design and clothing
Location: 202 W. Main St. #199, above Dust Bowl Tap Room in the Mercantile Building
Hours of operation: 12 noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday
Contact info: 678-2628, 678-5284, on Facebook at Simply Bling
History of business: Roughly 30 months ago, style maven Rosa Borba-Lopes came across a hot new style she couldn’t get enough of: leather band bracelets, bedazzled with Swarovski crystals.
But all the hot labels making those bracelets charged an arm and a leg.
“I thought to myself, you know what, I can do this,” Borba-Lopes recalls.
So she began making her own bracelets, in her own style, with intricate crystal patterns and hand-drawn metallic swirls.
“I call myself the swirl girl,” Borba-Lopes said, gesturing around a shop festooned with swirling designs.
Six months after starting, demand from friends, family, and anyone who saw the bracelets grew to the point that Borba-Lopes opened her own shop in downtown Turlock, Simply Bling. A year ago, the shop moved to a larger, Main Street-facing location, where it successfully resides today.
Borba-Lopes has focused on cultivating the market, engaging in collaborations with local businesses like blinged-out reindeer from Rustic Metal Designs. Borba-Lopes’ bling expertise has expanded, now stretching into decorated clothing, and even custom wedding shoes.
“Bring it, I’ll bling it,” Borba-Lopes said.
Business specialty: Those custom leather bracelets, covered with swirls, and a mosaic of Swarovski crystals, are still the heart of Simply Bling’s business.
Bracelets can be made exactly to a client’s specifications, with customized stones and designs. From lace wedding cuffs to soccer-themed bracelets, all are made in-store by Borba-Lopes, each one taking about four hours of nonstop work.
And they’re only available in-store. Even though Borba-Lopes has received offers from boutiques ranging from Sonora to San Luis Obispo, she opts to sell in-store only, keeping the bracelets affordable and custom.
Simply Bling also offers an assortment of clothing and jewelry from various labels, offering a choice of reasonably priced styles. Borba-Lopes will act as a personal shopper for customers, most of whom are referral or repeat, helping them find the perfect outfit for any occasion.