The highly anticipated Nordstrom store doesn’t open in Vancouver until Sept. 18, but in the meantime a handful of new retail outlets have already popped up in the city’s ever-growing retail landscape;
Kiss and Makeup
A North Shore fixture for more than a decade, this charming apothecary, apparel, and accessories gem has made its way to this side of the Lions Gate Bridge with the recent opening of its Olympic Village location at 1791 Manitoba. Owner Heather Huntingford scoped out the perfect spot to house the darling boutique that carries wares she describes as “sophisticated slouch” – think comfy sweatpants with a glass of champagne, or a shirt with a banana graphic and high-end Oribe haircare products. The store carries an array of local designers, including jewelry maven Shereen de Rousseau, delicate trinkets by Leah Alexandra, and stylish leather handbags from Bowen Island’s Lloyd & Wolf. There is also a selection of organic and natural skincare and beauty products from it-line Tata Harper, acclaimed cosmetics brand rms beauty, and Vancouver-born (but now California-based) ILIA Beauty products.
Aesop
The skincare line, established in Melbourne in 1987, has found a wee home in Gastown at 19 Water. The tiny retail space quietly opened its doors last month, bringing its quality skincare products to Vancouver on the heels of opening its first Canadian location in Toronto. With a strong following and solid reputation, Aesop doesn’t need to do much more than open its doors and wait for fans of the product to come flocking in. The Gastown store carries an array of skin and hair products – many of which are packaged in pharmaceutical-grade amber glass that looks as lovely resting on the counter as it feels on the body.
Wardrobe Apparel
The indie boutique brings unique threads to 67 East Cordova in Gastown, carrying designers and lines that aren’t well represented in the Canadian market, including boho-designer Athena Procopiou, footwear line Chelsea Paris, and edgy jewelry by Imogen Belfield. Brian Macinnes and Alexandra Thompson opened their Wardrobe Apparel studio in May. The store concept was inspired by Thompson’s travels through Nepal. Her time spent trekking the world meant she curated a global wardrobe that garnered lots of compliments, so she decided to bring the designers she wore to Vancouver.
McArthurGlen Designer Outlet
Last month’s opening of the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet at Vancouver airport made for some pissed off drivers stuck in retail gridlock from an event that drew 160,000 eager shoppers over a single weekend. Allegedly traffic in Richmond en route to the airport was so heavy that first day (July 9) that some people missed flights over the rush to shop the 80-unit outlet mall with brands like Prada, Armani and Burberry. The mad dash has subsided, so it might be worth a visit to the Vans store, Gap Kids or J. Crew Factory for a little back-to-school shopping this month or just to see whether all of the fuss was worth it.
Dior
Luxury giant Dior also made a grand entrance with two opulent floors of womenswear and menswear at the Fairmont Vancouver (900 West Georgia). The French fashion house brought Paris to Van with the opening of its first Dior and Dior Homme stand-alone boutiques in Canada at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Sought-after architect Peter Marino, a fashion world character known in the biz for his leather-daddy look and stunning interiors, designed the swanky new location that affirms the city’s reputation (for better or worse) as an emerging fashion market.
