18 homegrown retailers that opened (or re-opened) in Vancouver in 2016

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      Vancouver may have seen its share of big-name openings this year, but among the introductions of high-wattage stores like Prada, Saint Laurent, and Rolex were a handful of born-in-Canada shops that made their mark on the local fashion and home-and-design scenes as well.

      Below, we look back on some of our favourites.

      Aritzia, 1003 Robson Street

      Vancouver-born fashion boutique Artizia has come a long way from its humble beginnings at the Hills of Kerrisdale in 1984, today boasting a solid e-commerce platform and 75-plus standalone shops across North America.

      This year, the local design house completed a major expansion at its Robson Street flagship, which, when combined with its neighbouring Aritzia Base and Wilfred stores, now spans almost 13,000 square feet.

      Featuring West Coast–inspired elements like an indoor rock garden and plenty of potted greenery, the bright, open-concept space will serve as a model for future Aritzia boutiques.

       

      RYU Apparel Inc.

      RYU, 805 Thurlow Street

      Headed by local fashion veteran Marcello Leone, Respect Your Universe—better known as RYU—unveiled its second location along Robson Street this November.

      Like the urban-athletic label’s first shop in Kitsilano, the 1,100-square-foot space places as much emphasis on its stylish, high-performance wear as it does on its efforts in community building.

      A third RYU shop is slated to open at Park Royal in West Vancouver in early 2017.

       

      Structube

      Structube, 140 West Hastings Street

      Montreal-born Structube landed on the West Coast with its first Vancouver location this year. The home furnishings and décor shop offers everything from tufted loveseats and Eames-like office chairs to solid-wood headboards and rustic coffee tables—all at affordable price-points.

      A selection of compact, condo-friendly furnishings, such as dining tables and office accessories, are also on offer.

       

      Lucy Lau

      India Rose Cosmeticary, 4850 Mackenzie Street

      Tucked away on Vancouver’s West Side, India Rose Cosmeticary is an Instagrammer’s dream. White marble countertops and gilded trays serve as the perfect backdrop for owner and makeup artist India Daykin’s meticulously edited selection of luxury beauty products.

      Think highlighters, lip stains, and hair and skincare products from hard-to-find labels like RMS Beauty, Christophe Robin, and Joëlle Ciocco Paris that work for ladies who love a li’l bit of drama and those who prefer the “no makeup” makeup look alike. Daykin also offers beauty applications and classes onsite.

       

      Liberal Arts

      Liberal Arts, 419 Abbott Street

      Former fashion writer and Aritzia staffer Candy Soo opened Liberal Arts in Gastown early this year, where she offers an in-house label of minimalist, easy-to-wear goods that often blurs the line between mens- and womenswear.

      The stock is highly edited and includes poplin dresses, chic culottes, and cocoon coats, plus small fashion and home accessories such as bags and ceramics.

       

      Saje Natural Wellness

      Saje Natural Wellness, 1091 Robson Street

      One of Canada’s first Saje at Home concept stores opened in Vancouver’s premier shopping district this spring.

      Located adjacent to the existing Saje Natural Wellness, the home-oriented shop features items like nebulizers, diffuser blends, candles, and antibacterial room sprays that are meant to freshen both environments and minds.

      All products are plant-based and toxin-free, and customers may sample many of the diffuser blends in-store.

       

      Holt Renfrew

      Holt Renfrew, 737 Dunsmuir Street

      After months of renovations, Canadian luxury retailer Holt Renfrew unveiled its downtown Vancouver overhaul this fall. The expanded shop features a new 40,000-square-foot wing that houses Holt Renfrew Men and redesigned spaces for Louis Vuitton, Tiffiany & Co., and David Yurman.

      Upstairs sits the new Holt Café, while Chanel also received a makeover with the opening of the French label’s new shop-in-shop on the ground level.

      As Holt enters the next phase of its renovation, shoppers can expect larger spaces for Gucci, Prada, Dior, Tom Ford, and Fendi, plus the completion of a 7,000-square-foot personal shopping area.

       

      Lucy Lau

      Mine & Yours, 1025 Howe Street

      What began as a modest, Earth-friendly concept from entrepreneurs Jigme Nehring and Courtney Watkins three years ago has since grown into a full-fledged business in need of its own retail space.

      The duo moved Mine & Yours, a secondhand boutique selling luxury goods, from a live-work space on Hornby Street to a standalone shop on Howe Street this past April where fashionistas can explore a greater stock of marked-down clothing, shoes, and accessories from names like Louis Vuitton, Balmain, and Marc by Marc Jacobs.

      There, Vancouverites may also exchange their own gently worn high-end items for cash or store credit upfront.

       

      Victoria Black

      This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven, 3957 Main Street

      The wild, scientific, and wacky meet at This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven, a strange collector’s shop filled with oddities such as edible crickets, decorative human bones, lucky rabbit’s feet, and more.

      A gallerylike insect wall decorates one corner, while taxidermy pieces are littered throughout the shop. For the squeamish, This Monkey’s also carries lab beakers, microscopes, build-your-own-volcano sets, and adorable stuffies modeled after  the molecular structures of various viruses.

       

      Lucy Lau

      Knifewear, 4215 Main Street and Ai & Om, 129 East Pender Street

      Vancouver welcomed not one but two specialty knife shops in 2016, much to the glee of cooking nerds and culinary pros across the city.

      First to open up shop was the Calgary-founded Knifewear in Riley Park, which boasts over 40 lines of extremely sharp, made-in-Japan knives as well as quirky kitchen tools like streamlined coffee makers, pastel-hued mandolin slicers, and salad bowl waxes.

      Weeks later came Chinatown’s Ai & Om, the brainchild of Vancouver-based chef Douglas Chang, which, too, carries a curated stock of high-performance Japanese blades.

      Knife-sharpening classes are also offered there, where the experienced owner-chef regularly teaches others how to better care for their knives.

       

      Kiss and Makeup

      Kiss and Makeup, 1545 Marine Drive, West Vancouver

      After relocating its original Park Royal location to the North Shore—and shuttering the shop a year later—Kiss and Makeup has returned to its roots in West Vancouver. It joins the brand’s existing e-commerce outlet and Olympic Village location.

      The local beauty and lifestyle boutique carries lipsticks, cleansers, cheek tints, and more from a mix of homegrown and international names such as Tata Harper and ILIA Beauty, plus a selection of cozy scarves from Kiss and Makeup owner Heather Huntington’s AMUK.

       

      Clayton Chan

      017, 302 West Cordova Street

      Always upping its fashion game, Gastown welcomed local boutique 017 to the ’hood this year. Its name pronounced “zero-one-seven”, the minimalist shop features a curated selection of pieces by “advanced contemporary” designers that transcend trends and lean toward the androgynous.

      Among the ever-evolving stock are coats, pants, and accessories from brands such as CMMN Sweden, Helmut Lang, Siki Im, Harmony Paris, and Maison Kitsuné.

       

      Lucy Lau

      Suquet Interiors, 101–1014 Homer Street

      Founded in the’80s by Vancouver-based architect couple Ramon Masana and Georgina Tapia, Suquet Interiors was recently relaunched to include a range of home furnishings, décor, and art by designers that hail from at home and abroad.

      Led by the duo’s son, Ramon Masana Tapia, and Urban Barn cofounder Rick Bohonis, the storied label’s new Yaletown space features an eclectic mix of pieces from as far away as Italy, India, and Vietnam, plus the ornate stone fireplaces that first put Suquet on the local design map.

       

      Tammy Kwan

      Roots, 1001 Robson Street

      Canadian label Roots reopened its Robson Street flagship this spring following a multimillion dollar renovation that spanned the better part of two years.

      A fresh, “modern cabin” design now plays host to the company’s familiar, made-in-Canada apparel as well as its full line of leather goods and special, limited-edition products. Given Roots’ relationship with and success in Taiwan, the store also showcases images of some of state’s most prominent buildings.

       

      Lucy Lau

      Jackson Rowe, 2194 West 4th Avenue

      Following a series of successful pop-up shops, Vancouver-born fashion line Jackson Rowe opened its first brick-and-mortar stop in Kitsilano this spring. The hippie-chic label makes breezy, West Coast–influenced pieces for women like slip dresses, kimonos, and T-shirts splashed with graphics by local designers.

      Shoppers can also expect cozy scarves and pashmina wraps, plus cheeky pullovers rom Brunette the Label, statement accessories by Rauw Jewelry, and small-batch soaps from Eastvan Soapstress.

       

      SWITZERCULTCREATIVE

      SwitzerCultCreative, 1723 West 3rd Avenue

      Founded by Renee Switzer, daughter of renowned Vancouver-based designer William Switzer, luxury furniture house SwitzerCultCreative opened its first-ever showroom in Kitsilano this year.

      The brand, which shot to international acclaim thanks to an exclusive collaboration with Douglas Coupland in 2013, carries home furnishings and accents from designers like Nika Zupanc, Sholto Scrulton, and Iván Meade. Sustainability and handcraftsmanship is valued throughout.

       

      Tilley Vancouver

      Tilley Vancouver, 1750 West Broadway

      Local adventure-wear company Tilley moved from its South Granville digs to a new home on West Broadway earlier this year.

      There, you can find the brand’s made-in-Canada traveling hats and men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, including carry-on vests, jersey pants, and organic cotton tops. The family-owned shop was founded in 1985.

      Follow Lucy Lau on Twitter @lucylau.

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