What does Valley of the Dolls’ Avril Tait like? Her faves include Mintage, One of a Few, and Absolute Spa. Trevor Brady photo.

Avril Tait

When it comes to setting up shop in Vancouver’s fashion hotbeds, Avril Tait has got her finger on the pulse. In 2006, she opened Libertine (330 West Cordova Street) just as Gastown was exploding with one-of-a-kind clothing boutiques. And earlier this year, she opened Valley of the Dolls (4332 Main Street) on a little strip of SoMa that will no doubt be your new favourite shopping block.

Unlike her quirky, pocket-sized boutique in Gastown, Valley of the Dolls is a little more spacious and a lot more trend-driven. While most of the store is dedicated to new, wearable separates, there is one small, very select rack of premium vintage clothing. But the best part of this store is the accessories wall, where you’ll find row upon row of stacked cubbyholes—each filled with little colour-coded vignettes. Mind you, they’re only suggestions—everything is sold separately. Tait is all about layering and giving your outfits that indie edge Main Street is so famous for. So it’s not surprising that a lot of her top picks incorporate the world of rock.

BEST LOCAL DESIGNER

Isabelle Dunlop

“She’s doing a little bit more of a mod thing this year. She’s just always been right on board with mixing style and music. But her designs are still wearable everyday pieces. Season after season, it [the line] is just well-made, well-priced, and timeless.”

BEST LOCAL VINTAGE STORE

Deluxe Junk Company
310 West Cordova Street
604-685-4871

“They [the owners] are purists. I can see why the film industry goes there all the time. The stuff is in pristine condition. They’re the ones who taught me that, ”˜No, that’s vintage and that’s retro.’ I mean they really know their stuff. And the quality has already been really high. I bought these í¼ber-pointy, ruby-red, patent-leather stilettos from there in the early ’90s and I still have them.”

BEST PLACE TO SHOP WHEN YOU’RE ON A BUDGET

Woo Vintage Clothing
321 Cambie Street
604-687-8200

“She’s got a great eye. You go in there and you’re getting fantastic dresses for like 20-something dollars and great boots for like $40. You’re gonna have to work it with your personality because it is more of a retro thing. But she’s got a great eye for upcoming trends.”

BEST PLACE TO SHOP WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE SPLURGING

One of a Few
354 Water Street
604-605-0685

“I just think her clothes are really cutting edge, but really pretty at the same time. And even though it’s a little pricey, it’s worth it. They’re quality pieces that you’ll have forever, and there’s not a gazillion of them roaming around the streets.”

BEST SHOE SELECTION IN THE CITY

Holt Renfrew
737 Dunsmuir Street
604-681-3121

“Do they know how to throw a shoe sale or what? I don’t shop there consistently. But twice a year, when they have those massive shoe sales, you betcha—I’m in there like a dirty shirt. I got a pair of Dolce & Gabbana gladiators that I watched come all the way down from like $900 to a price that I could afford.”

BEST VANCOUVER SPA

Absolute Spa at the Century
1015 Burrard Street
604-684-2772

“As far as being pampered goes, I love their pedicures. It’s all about taking care of the feet for me. Of course, I’ll never complain if a back massage gets thrown into the package as well. Love it. And that’s where all the movie stars go, too. You go in there and it’s like pictures of Sharon Stone everywhere.”

BEST HAIR SALON

Red Square Salon
215–332 Water Street
604-694-1900

“It’s a tiny little salon in Gastown. But my stylist, [Erynn Lavallee] just gets it. She listens to you and gets what you want right away. And she’s a little bit of an indie chick. We drink wine, I look at mags”¦.It’s almost a girls-hanging-out-with-girls kind of vibe. I’m very at ease there.”

FAVOURITE NEW TREND

“I love the Crayola-coloured skinnies that I’m seeing—especially the reds and bright blues. What can I say? I love the rock ’n’ roll thing. I love the edginess of it. That’s why I love Main Street so much.”

BEST FASHION EVENT

Fall Into Transition
At the Caprice Nightclub (967 Granville Street), August 19, 2007

“It was my favourite event last year. They basically picked a bunch of local stuff from indie designers and showcased it at the Caprice—which I thought was really interesting, because you don’t often see well-put-together indie shows. I don’t really know what it represented, but I really did enjoy it.”

BEST PLACE TO SHOW OFF NEW THREADS

Commodore Ballroom
868 Granville Street
604-739-7469

“I will always get dressed up for the Commodore. See and be seen, and it’s not just the women—there’s the indie guys all dressed up in vintage, rocking the different eras. I just like that independent spirit that music seems to bring to fashion.”

Designer Joanna Kulpa loves Holt’s and Umeboshi. Trevor Brady photo.

Joanna Kulpa

This season, Joanna Kulpa worked some navy and burgundy into her line. That may not sound like earth-shatteringly big fashion news, but it’s pretty huge for a colour-phobe like Kulpa. The Vancouver designer is known for working with solid black and white fabrics.

Still, despite a limited palette, her Kulpa label has been getting a lot of buzz in fashion mags across the country. That’s because her superb separates are classic, elegant, and modern at the same time. While definitely not a slave to trends, she follows them enough to create contemporary silhouettes. Her titanium1 silk charmeuse dress, for example, is the perfect curve-catching rectangular shape for leggings and high-heeled ankle boots. Deceptively simple, this standout piece is sexy in a very understated way.

So when it comes to shopping for herself, Kulpa has very refined tastes. She doesn’t want to be overwhelmed with a lot of visual clutter, and it shows in her top picks.

BEST LOCAL CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

One of a Few
354 Water Street
604-605-0685

“First of all, I like the selection. Everything kind of works well together. And the bags that she [owner Michelle Rizzardo] carries are amazing. It’s just got a really easygoing environment.”

BEST LOCAL VINTAGE STORE

Mintage
320 West Cordova Street
604-646-8243

1714 Commercial Drive
604-871-0022

“I’m a horrible vintage shopper. I try all the time. But I just can’t do it. Too much colour freaks me out. But there, the colours aren’t overwhelming. I’m like, ”˜I can handle this.’ And I like that they mix vintage with the new. So it’s not just one of one thing—it’s five of one thing and that’s comforting for me. So even though I’m not a vintage shopper, I can still go in there and purchase something.”

BEST PLACE TO SHOP WHEN YOU’RE ON A BUDGET

Winners
Various locations

“I pop in there sometimes. It’s hard for me to go through the clothes. There’s just too much colour—too much pattern. But I do walk through the shoes and the bags. If you can handle it, there are a lot of things you can find in there for really cheap.”

BEST PLACE TO SHOP WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE SPLURGING

Holt Renfrew
737 Dunsmuir Street
604-681-3121

“Everything is so modern and neat and really separated. It’s definitely higher-end, but at the same time it’s not snobby—it still has an easygoing feel to it. I’ve been to higher-end boutiques in New York and the snobby-ness always comes out for some reason, but I find Holt Renfrew doesn’t have that vibe.”

BEST SHOE SELECTION IN THE CITY

Umeboshi
3638 Main Street
604-909-8225

“The selection’s really, really great. You won’t find these types of shoes everywhere, which is a nice thing. You would probably have to go on-line to find the designers that they carry.”¦I bought these brown rubber boots with little blue stripes at the bottom. They’re really comfortable”¦and we’re in Vancouver so I wear them a lot.”

BEST VANCOUVER SPA

Vida Wellness Spa at the Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver
845 Burrard Street
604-682-8432

“I got a Swedish massage. It was awesome. Another time I had a pedicure, which was really nice. And the waiting room is really relaxing. It has a waterfall, dimmed lights, good magazines, and comfy couches. It’s just a great place for a group of girls to spend the day.”

BEST HAIR SALON

Satellite Salon
130–319 West Pender Street
604-696-5353

“It’s not really high-end. The owners are younger and hip. They play indie music and there’s a little dog that runs around the place, and they just give really cool, wicked haircuts.”

FAVOURITE NEW TREND

Double-rolled jeans

“You take your baggy jeans and you roll them twice. It’s the latest thing that I’ve been seeing a lot and I really like it. I just like the way it looks. It’s not a super-neat roll. It’s a little bit of a messy roll. And that gives it a kind of a no-fuss look like you just threw them on.”

BEST FASHION EVENT

BeBare
www.bebare.ca/

“The models pretty much strip down to their underwear and then they auction off their clothes. And it’s for charity, so it’s just a really good thing.”

BEST PLACE TO SHOW OFF NEW THREADS

Boneta
1 West Cordova Street
604-684-1844

“There are angled mirrors on the ceiling, so it makes the place look a lot bigger. It just has a really nice, open atmosphere. And I saw the Mini-Me guy there once—what’s his name? Verne [Troyer]. So you can find stars there too.”