Dutch fashion label Scotch & Soda has landed in B.C. with the opening of a retail shop at Richmond Centre.

The Amsterdam-born brand carries a wide assortment of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, including denim, outerwear, shoes, and swimwear, starting at $45. Collections range from work-appropriate to fresh-off-the-runway to summer getaway–chic, and the company has also collaborated with international names like Superga.

In other words, this is a spot that could give Zara a serious run for its money.

“We’ve been thrilled with the customers’ reactions. It tells us that there’s definitely a Scotch customer in B.C., but it’s reconfirming what we’ve already known as well,” says Lawrence Routtenberg, vice president of sales and co-owner of Freemark Apparel Brands, the company responsible for Scotch & Soda’s Canadian expansion.

Speaking to the Straight by phone, he adds that Scotch & Soda has a strong wholesale presence in B.C. and has previously worked with boutique retailers like Boys’ Co., Hills of Kerrisdale, and Plenty. 

The new Scotch & Soda at Richmond Centre offers shoppers a well-edited selection of the label’s original menswear line; its eclectic womenswear line, which is called Maison Scotch; and its Amsterdams Blauw collection, which combines American and Japanese denim styles in a variety of men’s and women’s jeans, shirts, jackets, and more.

Scotch & Soda currently operates four other Canadian stores in Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto. Routtenberg reveals that the company is also hoping to open shops at Pacific Centre, Robson Street, and Metropolis at Metrotown if timing and space availability allows.