Eyeland owner Sara Moshurchauk is among the talented craftsmakers who designs, manufactuers and retails all under one roof. Sara creates one-off frames by hand using Italian Mazzucchelli acetate: all you have to do is select a style and material. At the back of the store, find a shop-in-shop of local made threads and adornment that have been carefully selected by Wendy of Dream Boutique.
Custom dressmaker, Ric Yuenn has his own atelier on Cordova – catch him sewing something new and browse through his collection of vintage-inspired gowns. Television series, Mad Men might be off the air, but the inspiration still lives inside New World Designs. Owner Heidi Schmidt has her own private line of 1950s-esque dresses, designed with the ever-so flattering hourglass silhouette. Also on Cordova, Motherland carries a casual assortment of menswear essentials. Their in-house label (above) gives gents an affordable option for sartorial suiting and a majority of the line is produced at their Vancouver studio.
Young designer, Gaby Bayona creates elegant gowns for the modern bride in her line, Truvelle. Sketching, pattern drafting and production is done by hand at her Gastown studio, and finished designs can be viewed at Truvelle’s first-ever retail space (which opens today at 325 Cambie).
The list wouldn’t be complete without Nicole Bridger. The well-known designer has relocated her flagship to Water Street, showcasing her line of coveted eco style. Designs are a true testament to eco-fashion, manufactured locally using sustainable fabrics.
Gastown shops feature a stylish selection of lifestyle wares by local up-and-comers. The Block is where style-conscious shoppers can find chic threads by established local designers like Sunja Link. Geometric jewellery by Anita Sikma and Catherine Hartley’s minimalist rings are available at One of a Few. PartySkirt’s colourful, voluminous silk skirts (available at LYNNSteven) are fun to frolic in during the summer.
Meadow Gifts houses a thoughtful collection of nostalgic novelties including organic cotton baby leggings by Mawdsleyloves (left). Also in-store, handmade polymer clay necklaces by Peca Studio raise funds for the WISH Drop-in Centre.
In addition to purveying hip wares for urban dwellers, Nouvelle Nouvelle stocks a considerable amount of Vancouver-made fashion including Randi Obenauer’s Ora Bags. It’s versatile and functionally designed to tote around the city in style.
A strong selection of premium men’s workwear has put HAVEN on the radar with Hypebeast and Complex Mag. Family-owned, Victoria-based boot manufacturer, Viberg Boots adds quality craftsmanship to HAVEN’s stocklist.
For bespoke jewellery, Artina’s Jewellery displays a vast collection of handcrafted, eco-friendly jewellery and supports aboriginal carvers and local jewelers like Victorian Harper and Carrie Maltilpi. Silver Gallery showcases gold carvings by Robert J. Walsh along with genuine silver & natural gemstone jewellery, and exclusive, story-telling pieces by West Coast Native artists.
