CANADIAN STYLISTS ON THEIR FAVOURITE LOCAL BOUTIQUES

Many of us shop mostly online and via our phones these days, browsing e-comm websites like it’s a side hustle and heedlessly adding things we’re coveting (thanks to social media and Substacks) to our carts. But there’s still something so compelling about an intimate in-person retail experience, especially at a boutique or space that offers a distinct point of view and well-curated selection. You might discover a new brand, try on (and fall for) something that’s a little out of your comfort zone and even get advice from the fashion pros behind the edit. To find out about great bricks-and-mortar shopping experiences, we asked five in-the-know stylists across Canada to share their latest retail discoveries. Here are seven newish boutiques and studios they’re raving about, from a by-appointment-only vintage shop in Montreal where you can find Galliano for Dior snakeskin booties to a Toronto lifestyle concept store that carries Lemaire alongside By The Namesake.

Take Three (Montreal) 

The brainchild of Alexandra Di Campo, Kim Belley and Sarah Power (each of whom had been selling vintage under their own brands for several years), Take Three opened last June. Shoppers will find both vintage items and new garments by local designers and artists, and the boutique also offers limited on-site alterations upon request. “It’s one of the most interesting new boutiques in Montreal’s Mile End,” says Amanda Lee Shirreffs, a Montreal-based editorial-fashion stylist. “[The owners] have perfectly curated an exciting selection of vintage while also showcasing the city’s buzziest new designers.” Look for knitwear by Made to Be Mad, sculptural garments by Genève-Florence and jewellery by Soie Lait.

Le Palais (Montreal) 

Last summer, Oriane Valiani of Vestibule Vintage and Hanna Allan of Le Sleepover collaborated to open vintage boutique Le Palais. “If you’re looking for rarities like fall/winter 2000 Dior snakeskin booties, this is your place,” says Shirreffs, adding that the showroom offers “a very thoughtfully curated selection at reasonable prices.” She notes that private shopping appointments have to be booked via Instagram.

Centrepiece (Montreal) 

Shira Hershkop, a fashion stylist and consultant in Toronto, says this shop is her newest obsession. “It really is more than just a furniture store; it feels like a lifestyle brand,” she says. “Julia, the curator behind this Montreal gem, has a remarkable eye for design, filling her shop with unique 20th-century collectibles and vintage furniture you won’t find anywhere else.” Founded in 2020, Centerpiece opened a studio space in 2023 and began offering in-person shopping by appointment last year. The shop carries vintage furniture and objects as well as new items like kitchen essentials and tableware by Alessi and Sabre Paris, rugs by Catalog Three and lighting by Colin Chetwood. “We like to say that our collections are where art, joy and style coalesce,” says founder Julia Johnson, who has a background in fashion and also works as a creative director. “Folks can expect to find 20th-century vintage furniture and decor with a sophisticated sensibility and [featuring] interesting colours, textiles, forms, craftsmanship and materials.”

Smoking Vintage (Toronto) 

“When I get the urge to update my wardrobe, I like to start at Smoking Vintage,” says Hershkop. “Though it’s small in size, the shop is inviting and the selection is impressive. There’s a constant rotation of new items, making it a shopping staple [for me].” Owner Alex daCosta, who describes herself as a lifelong clothes lover and vintage collector, opened this permanent retail location last September after previously selling vintage clothing by appointment and at pop-ups. The west-end Toronto boutique specializes in “effortless, flattering and interesting” archival runway pieces from the mid-’90s to the early 2000s, although daCosta strives to have something for everyone. “[The store has] a playful and feminine curation of designer and non-designer vintage clothing and accessories with a spotlight on Italian brands,” says Skye Kelton, a fashion stylist who works between Toronto and New York. “Alex is so good at helping you find a memorable piece that perfectly suits you. I always leave with something that makes me feel special.”

River Crossing (Toronto) 

“River Crossing is a Toronto-based lifestyle concept store featuring a curated blend of emerging and established global brands,” says freelance fashion and television stylist Queenette Olu. “Showcasing high-end pieces from designers like By The Namesake and artists like Nathalee Paolinelli, it provides a unique shopping experience for those seeking timeless, artistic luxury in both fashion and decor.” Founder and owner Leah Mersky worked in the art world before opening, last spring, this elegant gallery-like Toronto boutique, which offers home goods as well as new and vintage fashion sourced from around the world. “[This shop] is a place I typically go to to find inspiration,” says Hershkop. “There is always something new and interesting to look at.”

Mine & Yours (Vancouver) 

Leila Bani, a stylist and consultant in Vancouver, highly recommends a visit to the Kitsilano location of designer resale and consignment retailer Mine & Yours. “The space is beautiful, the staff are exceptional and, of course, consignment contributes to extending the fashion life cycle,” says Bani. The 164-square-metre store, which opened in the fall of 2023, was designed by Fay Mihailides Design to look luxurious but also feel “like your best friend’s closet.”

Neighbour Women (Vancouver) 

The first Neighbour Women opened in 2015, and in December 2023, the boutique was moved to a larger location on West Cordova Street in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood. “The women’s store is in a historic single-storey building that was built in 1910 as a branch of the Union Bank of Canada,” says co-owner Karyna Schultz. “The space had beautiful details already, and we worked with Olivia Bull and Dan Garrod of ODDO to redesign the interiors for our needs.” Bani is a fan. “[It] is such a beautiful space, and the selection is brilliant,” she says. “They carry lust-inducing brands such as Lemaire, CFCL, Bode, Julia Heuer and Our Legacy.”

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The post Canadian Stylists On Their Favourite Local Boutiques appeared first on Elle Canada.

2025-03-05T15:52:04Z