Local womenswear boutique Blubird opens new space in Vancouver's burgeoning "luxury zone"

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      Local contemporary womenswear boutique Blubird has unveiled a new storefront at 1108 Alberni Street.

      Situated a stone throw’s away from the retailer’s original location at 1055 Alberni Street, the 2,200-square-foot space carries apparel, shoes, and accessories from the same 50-plus elevated brands—with a few new additions—that has earned the shop a loyal following among the city’s sartorial set since 2008: effortless Aussie label Zimmermann, bastion of New York City cool Opening Ceremony, celeb fave Frame Denim, and the Meghan Markle–approved Self-Portrait, among others. (Basically, only the coolest sections of your standard big-name department store.)

      Blubird

      The new downtown-Vancouver store comes during Blubird’s 10th anniversary and features a new, more grownup aesthetic in the interior design and branding. “It’s been 10 years since we opened our first store, and it’s really nice to see an independent retailer like ourselves situated—and holding its own—among these high-end global luxury brands,” said Catherine Guadagnuolo, founder and president of Vestis Fashion Group, Blubird’s operator, in a press statement.

      The family-owned shop was founded in 2008 by the Vancouver-based Vestis, which also manages the region’s MaxMara and MaxMara Weekend outposts. Led by Guadagnuolo and her daughter, Harriet, who serves as the brand’s creative director and buyer, Blubird was launched in an effort to cater to young women in their teens and 20s who sought fashionable, high-quality clothing—“something between Betsey Johnson and Juicy Couture,” Guadagnuolo once described.

      The company also operates a Blubird store at Oakridge Centre.

      Follow Lucy Lau on Twitter @lucylau.

      Places to go nearby

      Approx. 15 minutes away

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