Leave it to Chinatown’s Charlie & Lee to discover Plaj Towel Co., a line of hand-loomed premium luxury Turkish towels, blankets, and kimonos.
Made from ultra-absorbent, eco-friendly cotton and bamboo through an age-old artistry, passed down from family member to family member, Plaj owner Natasha Fleming imports her lovely line from Turkey. (The word Plaj means “beach” in Turkish, according to the company website.)
“I love that Plaj textiles are artisan made on looms in Turkey,” Charlie & Lee owner Kleah Michnik says, explaining what she appreciates about the line she scooped up last fall. “You can really tell the difference with unique weaves, high-quality, and beautiful textures. They are thicker and softer than the average Turkish towel, plus so versatile.”
After only a year in business, Fleming already has a hefty number of boutiques carrying her line, but Charlie & Lee has one of the largest selections of Plaj in town.
“Charlie & Lee is one of my best accounts for sure,” Fleming says, adding the chic boutique opts for the neutral shades of her towels, which offer a stylish, quick-drying boho-alternative to classic terry ones.
“I’m not just saying that because they are my towels – I still haven’t purged all of our old [towels], but I definitely go grab one of our Turkish towels before anything else,” Fleming says.
The light-weight towels ($62 to $68 each) are versatile enough to be worn as a scarf, a beach cover-up, or even a baby blanket. The line also includes chic kimonos, which Charlie & Lee carries the stonewashed style called Texada, which is available at Charlie & Lee is in shades of denim blue, black, and light grey ($95 each). On its website, Charlie & Lee pairs the kimonos with slim-fit dark jeans, a simple white Tee, and the Heathermarie Heaton Navajo Mox boot (drool), for a smart mix of earthy mama and urban chic.
“The stonewashed (coloured) towels are the bestsellers, namely, the black and the sand colour,” Fleming explains.
The line also features blankets ($95 to $110), which fold up for easy transport and can be used as a throw in the house, a picnic blanket, or a spot to charming place to lounge on the beach.
The Plaj Towel Co. website (PlajTowels.com). includes brighter shades than those at Charlie & Lee, including towels available in soft berry and muted turquoise.
Fleming is somewhat surprised at the early response to her line, which she launched just a year ago. Having worked with her mom on her online organic fabric business, Fleming already had some entrepreneurial experience under her belt when she started importing the towels from Turkey, where they are slow-produced on a handloom that can make eight to 10 towels a day per loom in a tradition carried on for hundreds of years.
With spring upon us (hooray!), it’s the perfect time to pick up one of Plaj’s towels, blankets, or kimonos.
Along with Charlie & Lee, find Plaj at Nineteen Ten Home Boutique, Citizen Grace, Delish General Store in Vancouver, at Buddha-Full Juice in North Van, and Brick & Mortar Living in New Westminster. Follow the line on Instagram at @plajtowels.
