May 19—Dayton native Erin Parrott is opening the doors to her clothing brand's brick-and-mortar location that doubles as an event center on Saturday, May 20 in the Fire Blocks District.

A ribbon cutting for After 5 will kick off the grand opening at 2 p.m. with doors open until 5 p.m. The space will then transition into an event center for a ticketed after party from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. with an open bar and live DJ.

"Dayton is a city full of innovators and I pride myself in being pretty innovative and creative," Parrott said. "When I decided to seek a brick-and-mortar, I wanted something that differentiated our brand from other retailers and other boutiques."

Parrott started After 5, a women's clothing brand, online in August 2019.

"Our mission is to empower women so they can feel and look like their best versions of themselves because when you have confidence, there's so much more that you can achieve in life in general, outside of looks, etc.," Parrot said. "When you're confident in yourself there's really no limitation in what you can do."

Her goal is to give women a space where they can feel safe, regain their confidence and find themselves again. She says sometimes uncertainty arises when women make a transition in life in terms of age, motherhood, relationships or school among other subjects.

After 5 has a variety of clothing including trendy pieces for women who like to go out and hit the social scene or casual outfits and sets. The brand also offers plus sizes.

The clothing boutique will be open 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The event space will be available during non-operational hours. A link to the booking site for the event center will be available Sunday, Parrott said.

She described the aesthetic as bright, clean, classic, modern and beautiful. After a year and a half of planning and construction, Parrott is excited to open the doors.

When Parrott started her brand, she was working in sales at AT&T. She says when Covid happened, she had time to reflect on work and life balance. After the loss of a close friend she realized time is irreplaceable and went full force with her brand.

"I'm most proud of not giving up," she said. "I went through a lot of hurdles. People see the finished product and really don't know what it takes to have (reached) to this point."

Parrott and her fiancé, Edward Joiner, are planning to open The Reserve on Third, a new lounge, in the former space of Therapy Cafe on E. Third Street. They hope to open the lounge late summer.

"I'm a proud Dayton native," Parrott said. "Dayton's been through a lot of changes and has still stayed resilient, which is why I decided to come downtown."

For more information about After 5, located at 111 E. Third St., visit www.shopafter5clothing.com or the boutique's Facebook or Instagram pages.