The gift of Orb
Every time you return to West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, it seems there’s another example of retailing razzle-dazzle on the strip. One of the latest additions is the new Orb store at 2028 West 4th in the heart of the city’s sustainability district. In keeping with the vibe of the neighbourhood, Orb donates one percent of sales to the charity of a randomly selected customer’s choice, and then tops it up with an additional one percent to a charity chosen by the company. There’s lots of casual wear on the main floor, including Orb’s Mind, Body and Soul collection with its graphic T-shirts, fleece hoodies, and wide-legged shorts. Upstairs, you’ll find original artwork as well as fashion and home accessories made from recycled materials. How very West 4th Avenue.

Hot for H&M
Bargain hunters sometimes go into a frenzy whenever a new H&M outlet arrives in a city. We saw that last August with the opening of the first B.C. store in Coquitlam. Often referred to as “the Ikea of clothing”, the Swedish retailing giant H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB actually has “fans” who suggest where the next store should open. A new H&M store will open at Lougheed Town Centre on April 24, and expect a third local H&M outlet in May at Pacific Centre. They will carry a full fashion range for men and women, including lingerie and coordinated accessories, such as jewellery, sunglasses, belts, bags, scarves, and hats. The new H&M stores will also carry the Divided line for teens.

Fluevog’s word
Legendary shoe designer John Fluevog isn’t shy about touting his work. Go to his Web site (www.fluevog.com), and you’ll see a page not-so-humbly titled “The Word”. It says: “Moses used tablets, Picasso used paints, God used Moses, Alex G Bell used the telephone and John Fluevog uses shoes.” Now, there’s a new location where the Word of John can be appreciated: 65 Water Street in Gastown. It’s the 10th John Fluevog outlet in North America, and the fourth in Canada. Fluevog designs most of his shoes, but because these visions sometimes come to him in dreams or float into the office on little fairy wings, his Web site reports that “the design credit technically goes to God”.