It Began With an Idea
In 2012, Cathy took her eldest daughter shopping. It was her daughter’s junior year, and the teenager needed a dress to wear for prom. When Cathy realized that most gowns cost $500, she decided to design one herself.
Cathy and her daughter didn’t come home empty-handed, however. The doting mother truly enjoyed the time she spent bonding with her daughter while they searched for a dress. That unforgettable experience is the reason behind the creation of Rumor Prom and Formal.
A Fresh Start
Cathy was working at international programs for Upper Iowa University in 2011. After returning home from a work trip to Malaysia in October of the same year, she found herself transitioning into a different position that did not fit her. When shopping for a prom gown for her daughter that following February, Cathy realized the career change she was needing. She loved the bonding experience of searching for a gown and witnessed other parents bonding with their daughters as well. She decided on the spot that that was her new career. Within four months, she had written a business plan, secured a grant, purchased a building, and resigned from the university.
Summer and fall of 2012 were filled with learning renovations, locating wholesalers, attending markets and buying inventory. In January 2013, Rumor Prom and Formal opened in Fayette, IA.
Rumor Prom and Formal moved to a new location in January of 2016. Set in a Victorian home in a relaxed atmosphere, our lovely store is now located in a historic district in downtown Dubuque, the oldest city in Iowa.
Our store is open seasonally from January to April, Wednesday through Friday from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M., and Saturday from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. For the remainder of the year, our store is listed as a guesthouse on Airbnb.
rumor prom and formal
412 Loras Blvd
Dubuque, IA 52001
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rumorpromandformal
Website: www.rumorpromandformal.com
Tel: 563-585-5850
