VA2007 - Shopping - Cityfile

Style Guys - Local designers bring Vancouver to the world stage.

Vancouver's old reputation for frumpiness was well-deserved: inclement weather conspired with a laid-back vibe to create an unholy mélange of polar fleece, Gore-Tex and yoga pants. But a crop of talented designers who make up the New West Coast movement has helped shape the city's image to that of a style-conscious and — dare we say it — downright hip kid, attracting the interest of style-makers internationally. Two such designers are Raymond Boutet and Lyle Reimer, the brains behind Evan & Dean. With only three seasons under the label's proverbial belt, Evan & Dean distills Asian influences, sportswear silhouettes and impeccable construction into an aesthetic that caught the attention of the style mavens at Holt Renfrew. Look for Evan & Dean in Holt Renfrew's World Design Lab (737 Dunsmuir St., 604-681-3121).

Lyle Raimer and Raymond Boutet (with model Melita sporting their Japanese Garden Lantern dress) bring their clothing line, Evan & Dean, to Holt Renfrew's new Vancouver flagship store.

Photo: Marina Dodis.
Photographed at 1181,
1181 Davie Street.

To Market - Monthly art market makes shopping a party.

Modelled on the open-air markets of London's Portobello Road, Portobello West is an art and fashion market of a different stripe. The monthly event has a festival atmosphere thanks to live entertainment and DJs, onsite food vendors and the unusual venue — a converted locomotive maintenance building. As for the wares, the revolving list of vendors — hand-picked by founder Carly Smith — offers unique and inherently stylish goods that steer clear of the macramé plant holders and Byzantine tchotchkes that clutter most craft markets. Portobello West takes place on the last Sunday of each month at the Rocky Mountaineer Station (1755 Cottrell St., Vancouver, BC) from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Photo: Marina Dodis

Greening Industry - Retired machinery gets new life in designs for the home.

For those who look for a little edge in their environmentalism, the home furnishings of Industrial Artifacts (49 Powell St., Vancouver, BC, 604-874-7797) offer the perfect amount of grit with your granola. Designer Ross MacMillan recycles industrial machinery, gears, scrap metal and wood into unique furniture (think room dividers made of defunct traffic lights, below left, or the Serpentine table made of reclaimed Douglas fir, below) that has been featured in Wallpaper magazine and on the sets of the shot-in Vancouver television series Smallville.

Meating Places - Charcuterie is this year’s "it" food at local restaurants.

Photo: Tracey Kusiewicz

Chic Shops - Vancouver's retail scene is all grown up.

With the recent arrival of boutiques like Hermès (107-755 Burrard St., 604-681-9965), Tiffany & Co. (723 Burrard St., 604-630-1300), and the new Cartier (456 Howe St., 604-683-6878) — not to mention wardrobe basics mainstays Urban Outfitters and H&M — this city's devotees of retail therapy are finally living the high life. The jewel in our crown is the newly expanded Holt Renfrew (737 Dunsmuir St., 604-681- 3121), shown right. Opened in May 2007, the store features a full-service spa, 135,000 square feet of retail space and a rooftop restaurant with great urban views. For inveterate shopaholics, the prospect of a morning mani/pedi, an afternoon of browsing and a sunset cocktail should prove hard to resist.

Photo: Martin Tessler

Cool Couture - Gastown shop Hunt & Gather garners accolades for its design.

In a city often accused of tearing down its architectural history in favour of glass and steel, clothing designer Natalie Purschwitz is bucking the trend. Her small Gastown atelier and boutique known for its original handmade clothing, Hunt & Gather (225 Carrall St., 604-633-9559), shown left, received honourable mention for Best Retail Space at Travel & Leisure Magazine's 2007 "Best in the World" Design Awards for its marriage of turn-of-the-century utilitarianism and touches of modern elegance. The only Canadian retail outlet recognized, Hunt & Gather shares the honour with New York's impressive 5th Avenue Apple store and Zurich’s Freitag store.

 
Photo: Lucas Finlay