Emily Cooper can remember the excitement, as a child, of visiting the drapery store in Waikouaiti on a Friday night.
But she never imagined she would return years later and set up her business in the premises.
Silkbody, the business she co-founded with her father, David Cooper, in Dunedin in 2002, opened its doors in Waikouaiti two weeks ago, a showroom and workroom now occupying the former drapery.
It was the ''perfect'' location, given the visibility of being situated on State Highway 1, and the large windows meant the company could showcase the Silkbody range of natural silk clothing, Ms Cooper said.
Much had changed since Silkbody was launched 13 years ago, including the continuing growth of online shopping, which meant the business did not have to be based in the city.
''Selling online is where it is. We can do that anywhere, really.''
Not only has Silkbody shifted to Waikouaiti, but Ms Cooper, her husband Sam Clarkson and their daughter Mae (3) have also moved to the East Otago town.
Last year, Ms Cooper bought a classroom she saw advertised for sale in Mosgiel, which coincidentally was from Queen's High School, her old school.
At the same time, she had started looking at properties around Waikouaiti, after the family visited one day and wondered why they didn't live there.
A section was advertised at the same time in a ''pretty awesome spot'' on the edge of the lagoon and ''it all kind of came together'', she recalled.
The family moved in to their new home, which had been built on to, just before Christmas last year, and they were enjoying the lifestyle. Her parents have lived in the town for many years.
The lease of Silkbody's premises in Dunedin came up at the same time as Ms Cooper heard the Waikouaiti store was going to be available. It previously housed clothing store Roadside Attraction, which has relocated to Waitati.
It took several months to get the new premises looking the way they wanted it and, since opening, it had been ''really busy'', she said.
Originally, the Silkbody business model was to sell through distributors internationally but that changed when the global financial crisis came along.
Things became ''much more difficult for everyone'' and they moved to a different model and also downsized, Mr Cooper said.
In Dunedin, Silkbody is stocked by Arthur Barnett, Dada and Guild, the new retail and gallery space in Moray Pl, which was the brainchild of Ms Cooper.
Guild, which opened in the new year, is run by Dunedin Designed Inc, a society that supports Dunedin designers and makers.
It encompassed clothing, jewellery, skincare products and perfume and included ''pop-up'' exhibitors ''to keep things fresh'', Ms Cooper, who is treasurer of the society, said.
Ms Cooper and Mr Clarkson, a web designer, also run Dunedin Online, which showcases online stores based in the city.
Ms Cooper designed the first Silkbody range shortly after completing a degree in clothing and textile science at the University of Otago.
She is now on the advisory board of the applied science programme at the university, along with being on the board of business incubator Upstart.
Silk was an ''incredible fibre'' and many people did not understand where it came from.
''It's a really ancient fibre and we're trying to bring it to people's attention again,'' Ms Cooper said.
It had been a process of evolution since Mr Cooper started with silk sleeping-bag liners, the Coopers becoming passionate about the fibre, its history and all the possibilities there were for it.
It had the tensile strength of steel, which indicated its durability, Ms Cooper said.
The father and daughter worked as a team.
Mr Cooper was particularly passionate about international development and believed there were many opportunities for Silkbody as an international brand.
The focus was on Australia, the United Kingdom and United States.
They had kept Silkbody as a family business, resisting any offers, as they preferred to remain in control of their business.
When it came to design inspiration, Ms Cooper said they had come to understand their customer base.
Their designs had ''stood the test of time'' and there were still many of the styles they started with when they launched the brand.
''It's about wearable, classic designs, which is why I think it works really well for people going travelling.''
