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THE INSEAM VOL. 16: THE BOARD OF TRADE CO.

Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome.

Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome.

Photo: courtesy of The Board of  Trade Co.

Walking into The Board of Trade is like entering your friend’s apartment. You’re greeted with smiles, offered a seat and a cup of tea (or perhaps a sake bomb, if you’re so inclined). Eunice Quan and David Lin are the warm and friendly duo behind Strathcona’s latest venture.

The Board of Trade Co. is a concept fashion boutique that houses up and coming designers from around the globe. With an aim to foster the growth of young creatives, the retailer doubles as a space to host community events.

It all began when the childhood friends connected last year after each finding themselves at a crossroads in their careers. David was completing a journey through Australia and Southeast Asia, while Eunice was completing a stint as Creative Director at Oak + Fort. After discussing their passions for retail since the age of 13, they finally decided to collaborate.

“I thought it was the perfect timing for us to get together. We believed in the same concept and we believed in up and coming designers. Basically, it was now or never,” says David.

The two discuss how they noticed a hole in the Vancouver market for new fashion designers. Eunice explains, “We wanted something young, fresh and different. You go to LA, New York or any fashion hub and people are buzzing about all these new designers. There are people out there, like us, who don’t want to dress like everyone else. So we decided that that’s what our boutique would mainly be about.”

Eunice and David maintain this goal by sourcing unknown designers and establishing relationships with them. “We have designers from Southeast Asia, LA, Toronto, New York and a few from Vancouver. We want to be a platform for them to showcase their work. We have met and sat down with all of these designers. We really want to create that relationship with them from the beginning. With emailing, it’s easy – you don’t have to fly out and see the showrooms, you can just put in the order and that’s that. But we wanted to do something different,” says David.

The store holds exclusive rights over the lines that they carry, in order to ensure that it’s new to Vancouver. This enables their space to act as a showroom for the designers, giving them the opportunity to spread the word to the rest of the community. David states that this growth is crucial to the store’s mandate, saying, “We make a commitment to our designers. We believe in the label, we want to bring them out. We don’t want to just horde everything for our store, but help them grow in the area.”

Currently, the stock at The Board of Trade Co. focuses mainly on men’s attire. Eunice and David wanted to tap into the high-quality, mid-range price market, since there aren’t many local options. But they also want to challenge convention by promoting the idea that men and women can shop from the same rack. Eunice concedes, “We want to blur what’s familiar - blur that gender line. I think there is so much that I could wear from this store. Plus I think it’s cool to see how all these different people come in and see how our products fit them in a unique way.”

So what new names can we expect to find at The Board of Trade? Painkiller, Shake Appeal, Sifr and Qubisch, to name a few. All of which tend to take creative risks and fit the store’s unique aesthetic. Put simply, Eunice and David describe their style as “Minimal, raw, unpretentious, real, laid-back, edgy and community-inspired.”

Conveniently, the physical space draws upon these characteristics perfectly. The boutique is clean and open with exposed wood furnishings and simple vintage touches. “We infuse a lot of the design aesthetic [into our store]. At the same time, we made sure that our visual layout didn’t draw away from the clothes. Sometimes when you walk into a store, you look at everything but the product. We wanted to find that balance between the two. It’s raw and industrial, but at the same time it doesn’t take away from our products. It works in harmony together,” says Eunice.

Another key element of The Board of Trade Co. is its collaborative projects. Recently, they have teamed up with local music producers The Lost Boys, fashion collective Gene Doe, Gypsy Market Vintage, Christopher Shyr and NY-based artist Jeffrey Robbins – all of which are showcasing at the official launch party this Saturday.

It’s clear that Eunice and David are passionate about this collaborative approach to business. “Personally, I felt like there wasn’t enough of a community amongst young creatives. Everything was either too competitive or the older crowd was doing it. Now we’re working together to help build this movement and show others that they can do it too. It’s not about competition. That’s what we want to break down. I don’t want people to come in here and feel like they can’t talk to me. Collaborations will help this community to grow. That’s the important thing,” states Eunice.

David continues, “As young creatives, we may not have a lot of experience, but we can learn and grow together. That’s how we’re going to be able to build this community up.”

The Board of Trade Co.’s quest has not been met without challenges. Eunice and David admit that money and time can put a strain on creativity. Luckily, they overcome every hurdle by staying humble and focused. “By having your own business, work never leaves you. But we’ve learned more in this process than we ever have over any education,” claims David.

The owners stress the importance of organic growth in the future; both for the store and the designers that they carry. They discuss their hopes and dreams of seeing one of their labels making it to NY Fashion Week, maintaining their relationships and continuing to foster young talents. Eunice puts it simply: “Their success is my success.”

I ask the duo why they chose to base their business locally. “I owe a lot of who I am to Vancouver,” states Eunice. “But you know what’s so weird? The exact same reason why I hate Vancouver is the same reason that I love Vancouver – the people.” I can’t help but crack a smile at her honest response – but I realize that it’s this strong sense of openness that will allow Eunice and David to continue on their quest for progress.