Vancouver gets a lot of flak for its laid-back style of dressing, but one local designer has found a way to make the city’s seeming preference for comfort work.

Julia Hoover, founder and designer of Vancouver-based fashion brand Jackson Rowe, began crafting her signature shawls in 2012 when she discovered a demand for a quality scarf line while working as a retail wholesaler. She took the pashmina wrap and added lace insets, boho-chic tassels, and bold, geometric prints, transforming the wardrobe staple into a must-have accessory for West Coast gals.

“It’s stylish and fashionable, and yet it’s comfortable,” Hoover tells the Straight. “You can wear it with your lululemons; you can wear it with your everyday yoga or workout wear. But then you can also dress it up to go out with your girlfriends or on a date.”

Four years later, Hoover has expanded her line to include a full range of women’s clothing, and after a series of successful pop-up shops, teamed up with fashion-industry vet Dana Bryan to open Jackson Rowe’s first brick-and-mortar store at 2194 West 4th Avenue.

It’s in this space—a bright, airy room anchored by salvaged furniture, warm wood-and-copper shelving, and a high-contrast mural painted by local artist Sarah Delaney—that we now speak with Hoover. Lining the racks are breezy slip dresses, cotton chambray skirts, and a line of not-so-basic T-shirts splashed with West Coast–inspired graphics by local designers, though Jackson Rowe’s comfy scarves, wraps, and laser-cut capes remain the stars of the show.

“It was all based on their love story and what it felt like to be hugged and loved,” Hoover says of the brand, which was named after her grandparents, Jack and Rose. The designer has translated that feeling into made-in-Canada twist-back tank tops, kimonos, and scalloped-hemline Ts, opting for oversized silhouettes and silk- and cashmerelike fabrics to create effortlessly feel-good pieces.

The love extends to the West 4th shop’s shelves, which Hoover stocks with locally sourced items from her fellow girl bosses. Cheeky pullovers from Brunette the Label, hand-carved statement rings by Rauw Jewelry, and small-batch, vegetable-based soaps from Eastvan Soapstress—plus a soon-to-be-released collab with Tofino Towel Co.—all draw style-savvy locavores to Jackson Rowe. However, the shop’s location in the heart of Kitsilano doesn’t hurt either.

“We wanted to be in this area,” says Hoover. “We really felt like it was our customer, too, so when this place opened, we got super excited.”