Brooke Ramirez celebrated her five-year anniversary as the owner of a week ago, Sept. 2, with a fashion show, appetizers, drinks and a DJ.
Although the fashion show was postponed for more than hour, the party in outside Ramirez's clothing store in downtown Campbell carried on.
The DJ mixed David Guetta’s popular dance track “Where Them Girls At” when the show began. Ten models dressed in Bombshell Boutique threads eventually circled a crowd of about 50 people using the sidewalk as a makeshift runway.
And despite her slightly bashful address preceding the fashion show, a confident Ramirez said she’s not surprised her business hit the five-year landmark.
“I think I knew I would make it this far,” said Ramirez, smiling among friends in her downtown Campbell boutique. Ramirez had plans to pursue a career in law after graduating college in 2005.
But after starting her own business in Campbell, with the generous help of her family and friends, Ramirez asked herself, “How can I say no to all of this? It’s amazing,” she said. “Everyday I’m so happy and thankful for the customers that I have.”
As thankful Ramirez is for her customers, friends and family, she said, Bombshell Boutique would not exist without the unconditional support of “Mama Jo” – her mother.
“She’s the reason why my business has made it this far,” Ramirez said, glancing in her mother’s direction behind the checkout desk.
Campbell’s friendly business environment, great customers and overall tight-knit community, Ramirez said, is what reinforces that she made the right decision to start her own business in Campbell and is what will keep her here for another five years.
Ramirez wasn't the only one enjoying Campbell's various attributes that night. Deb Rohzen, owner of Simply Smashing! was hosting "Art Show at Simply Smashing!," a showcase of artwork by local artists.
"We’ve had them before," Rohzen says. "This one was the biggest. We had 10 artists, most of which are still on the walls."
Rohzen says that the event is something the downtown boutique enjoys doing: supporting local artists.
Artists showing their artwork at the boutique included alen.w, BEHR, Claudia Lepulu, daniel "bob81" mcgaughy, Faye Kala, gus.a, Jeanette Hartley, Katie Ward, Mike 3.5 and Sylvia Soto.
The youngest artist that night, 3-year-old Mehana (alen.w and Katie Ward daughter) was the first to make a sale.
"She's the daughter of one of the artists," Rohzen says. "It had a price tag of $10 but the person that purchased it incisted on doubling it."
Rohzen's shop is also approaching a milestone: it's 11th anniversary Nov. 1.
"We had a great night," she says. "We had a full house, between friends and family of the artists as well as fb friends and Simply Smashing! fashionistas. We had a blast."
Mayra Flores De Marcotte contributed to this article.
