Tonight I do want to talk about a boutique that I recently discovered. Housed in the neighbourhood that I work in - Kensington. I can't believe that I had never stepped foot in the shop before.
Located at 233 - 10 Street Nw Calgary, AB - Eleven Eleven Boutique celebrates talented independant Canadian designers by offering customers a colourful, unique array of clothing. As I walked into the shop, my eyes scanned around with delight. Primarily upcycled or recycled clothing, (in vibrant colours & patterns), make up most of Eleven Eleven's inventory. But it doesn't stop there. You can find jewelry, sandals, bags & accessories.
Not only did the designs "wow" me, but I really like the shop's "bohemian" style interior decor.
Yeah, I definitely loved that there was a chandelier in the store, (cause I heart chandeliers), but I found the "designer's inspiration" wall such a wonderful & interesting addition to the space.
It was last week, when I met with one of the co-owners of Eleven Eleven boutique. I'd like to introduce you to the lovely & ever-so-friendly Lana Selbee.......
How long has Eleven Eleven been open?
Eleven Eleven has been opened just over one year now. It was opened December 2008, by main designer Jessica Redditt (www.middleofnowhereapparel.com/ )
Does the name "Eleven Eleven" have any significance?
Eleven Eleven is believed by many to have different meanings.The underlying understanding that connects them all is that Eleven Eleven is a place of understanding, a place where things begin to come together and the future begins to be much more clear before us. To us, Eleven Eleven is a place where our dreams of establishing a beautiful, flourishing artistic community in Calgary begin to come together. Seeing the numbers 11:11 often means to many that they are going in the right direction, pursuing the correct path. We definitely believe we are!
Can you tell my readers how you became one of the owners of Eleven Eleven?
Myself and my business partner Andrea Walker came to the boutique early January as shoppers... and ended up early February as owners. We worked together for a month with Jessica and her partner Sal Awad to make buying the business a possibility for us. It all came about when we found out Jessica and Sal did not plan to keep the business in Calgary, they planned to head West to Victoria. We could not let such a rare precious gem escape our city! So...we bought it!
What can one expect when we visit your boutique?
You can expect to find one of a kind, unique to each person designs. Everything we sell is handmade, and no mass production exists! We work mainly with designers who are recycling old clothing, or using the bits and pieces others leave behind. Most of our designers are from Calgary, but we welcome in many smaller, independant designers from all across Canada. We make sure our store is always colourful and eco-friendly. And of course, we also have all of our vintage treasures for those who love the hunt!
Who are some of the designers that are featured in your store?
Jessica Redditt, line Middle of Nowhere http://www.middleofnowhereapparel.com/ Floating Gold Iceberg collective, Victoria BC http://www.floatinggoldiceberg.com/ Jeniffer Fukushima, Paper People Clothing, Toronto, http://www.paperpeopleclothing.com/ Valrie Powell, Cherry Chic Designs, Calgary http://www.cherrychicdesigns.com/Freyja Ulveland (leather designs) Fehu Designs, Calgary, http://www.fehudesign.com/ ..and many more!
Prior to running your boutique, what did you used to do?
Prior to this? Well, not much at all. Worked a lot of dead end serving jobs, reserved my nights for painting and dreamed of being an artist. Now? My dream has gotten a lot bigger! My job is to work with amazing creative people and I love it.
Now I noticed that you will be a part of the Fashion & Accessory Expo on March 20th. Do you have plans for any other events this year?
We are trying to hit up all the folk festivals we can! If all goes according to plan you should see us at the Winnipeg Folk Fest, Edmonton Folk Fest, Calgary Folk Fest and Canmore Folk Fest. What can I say? We love the festivals!
What are your future plans for Eleven Eleven?
To find and bring in as much local talent as we can, from clothing to jewelry to artwork. Eventually I would like to transform the way our city views shopping and fashion and possibly create our own local mall... you never know what can happen!
Do you have any advice for someone who's interested in opening their own boutique?
Yes! Know exactly what your boutique would be about, it's heart, it's character, it's vision. Make sure you have a firm clear vision, lots of wonderful people to partner with and help you learn, and be ready to fight it out for a few years! :)
To find out more about Eleven Eleven boutique........
Click HERE to visit their site
Click HERE to join their Fan Facebook page
Now peeps, I'd like you to swing by an Etsy shop called Aquacitrine by clicking HERE
There's gonna be another giveaway on The Creative Mixx tomorrow, so stay tuned.
1luv
A couple of friends and I walked into Eleven Eleven on a whim once, and fell in love with it! Such a cute little boutique, and the people working there were so friendly!
ReplyDeleteJust curious...when you interview the people for these posts, how do you go about it? Do you just email them requesting an interview?