BY MOLLY BRUSH • PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARDSON STUDIO
If you’ve recently traveled past the Park South development at the intersection of East Hillside Drive and South Henderson Street, you might have noticed a familiar name among the new businesses there. Cactus Flower, the Bloomington boutique known for its eclectic selection of vintage and new apparel and accessories, moved to Park South last summer.
A mainstay of the city’s retail scene for more than 45 years, Cactus Flower originally was housed in Kirkwood Manor, a historic building at the corner of East Kirkwood and South Grant Street. When former art teacher Amanda Franklin bought the store from original owner Jill Schaffer in 2017, she immediately made it a priority to find a new space. “It was something I knew from the beginning needed to happen,” Franklin says.
The new location (600 E. Hillside Drive, Suite 3) has been a boon for the business, Franklin says. Unlike the Kirkwood Manor space, which is divided into separate rooms on two levels, the new location is an open space on one level. The layout has allowed Franklin to expand her merchandise to include furniture and housewares and to carry a wider range of clothing sizes. It’s also made the store more accessible for shoppers, who no longer have to contend with steep staircases and tight spaces.
Through all of the changes, Franklin is staying true to Cactus Flower’s roots, striving to offer an intriguing mix of vintage and new fashions for a range of ages, styles, and budgets. “I try to have a variety of price ranges, and I try to think of the different types of customers we have,” she says. “We have a little bit of everything.”
Visit cactusflowerclothing.com for more information and to see a selection of styles.
