All Hail, Canadian Retail!

Forever 21 at Metrotown, Burnaby

Over the past few years, Vancouver has been blessed with an avalanche of affordable fashion retail from around the world.

Labels such as Hollister, H&M, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and Sephora were once only accessible by a trip down South to the States. Things are however quickly changing; today we see these very names in local malls and shopping centres with even more still queued for arrival.

This by all means is not bad news for shopping enthusiasts like me. I welcome the influx of greater retail options closer to home. But still, it does make me wonder how Canadian retail outlets are doing and how well they are putting up in the competitive fashion retail world.

Aritiza

Of course, Aritzia has to be first (duh).

Half my closet is stuffed with articles from this trendy boutique conceived from the upscale Vancouver department store, Hill’s at Kerrisdale. Aritzia has flowy tops that flatter and designer jeans that compliment overly-round behinds; however, it’s more than just chic apparel.

Aritzia has created a unique culture of its own with its focus on urban art and indie lifestyle and if you have immersed yourself among any young women in the Lower Mainland of B.C., well then you will already know the Aritzia brand is all-the-rage.

The retailer operates 35 locations across Canada and is now infiltrating the states with outlets in Portland, Seattle, Short Hills (NJ), San Jose, San Francisco and Chicago. It has also collaborated with the Olympics to create the exclusive 2010 line, Parklife. Aritzia threads have been spotted on oodles of stylish celebs including Megan Fox, Scarlett Johansson, Vanessa Hudgens, and Hillary Duff.

Lululemon Athletica

Everyone knows the West Coast is all about staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so it should be no surprise this yoga and activewear company kicked off in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver.

Similar to Aritzia, Lululemon has its own successfully established brand centered on exercising the mind, body and soul. The retailer even offers free in-store yoga lessons and helpful tips on keeping a fit and wholesome lifestyle.

Lululemon is an international brand with over 40 stores across Canada, 38 stores and showrooms in the US, seven stores and showrooms in Australia and one showroom in Hong Kong.  Although the apparel was originally advertised as yogawear, it is often sported as casual attire and a comfortable, more stylish alternative to sweats.

Jacob

Let’s not forget East Coast contribution to the realm of Canadian retail. The inexpensive women’s and girls’ clothing chain, Jacob, was born out of Montreal, Quebec and features over 200 stores across Canada.

On top of its central brand, Jacob, the company also runs under the labels Jacob Connexion, Jacob Lingerie, Josef and Danz. These brands vary from focus on casual comfort (Jacob Connexion), intimates (Jacob Lingerie) to formal/business attire (Jacob).

Although Jacob has not penetrated any international markets, it has experienced tremendous success in Canada. The Jacob Jr. label was what in fact sparked my love for retail shopping at the tender age of eleven (See below at the popularity of the oh-so-haute Jacob Jr. fleece sweater and fleece short-sleeve in my sixth grade class photo).

Guido and Mary

Despite the dominance of Italian and American brand names in the world of high-fashion denim, Montreal-based Guido and Mary have made quite the impression among the “titans” of jeans wear.

The brand was founded by Winnie Wong and Yaniv Moyal who ventured into the fashion world without any design school experience!

Although Guido and Mary do not operate its own stores, its products are featured in some of the trendiest retail outlets across Canada and the U.S.

The $150+ cost for a pair or Guido’s might sound steep but considering each pair is handmade with a unique fit, it is well worth the investment.

I was lucky enough to find some G&M’s at a Winner’s outlet in Vancouver. With its amazing ability to contour-enhance and offer stretch comfort, it has since become my favourite pair of denims.

I’m sure there’s a ton of major Canadian names that I have missed, but the retailers listed above are ones that I particularly adore and have come into contact with

Looking mainly at fashion retail for young women, I can say despite the invasion of popular foreign labels, Canadian retailers have managed to become fierce competitors in the retail marketplace with high prospects on influencing their brands across the world.

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