Line_FALL2013 Vol1 Issue4-LO

FASHION • TRENDS • STYLE MAGAZINE OF ATLANTIC CANADA
Vol. 1 | Issue 4 | Fall 2013

l i n e 1FA S H I O N • T R E N D • S T Y L E
FEATURES
4
Klozet
7
LDM OMG
8
She Sells Jewels by the Seaport
12
From Coat to Coat
14
Fashion Editorial
20
Veronica MacIsaac
26
Reviving Downtown
COLUMNS
29
Fashion Tweets
ET CETERA
2 Letter from the Publisher
3 Letter from the Photo Editor
29 Where to Buy
ON THE COVER
Models: Kevin Hull & Kristin Langille Dahl
Clothing: Veronica MacIsaac Apparel
Photographer: Brent McCombs, Alterego Photography
Photography Assistant: Michelle Olsen
Hair and Makeup: Elle Munster
26
20
8
table of contents
FALL 2013

2 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
It’s been a huge couple of months since
the last issue. Atlantic Fashion Week
celebrated its 7th year at the elegant
Gallery One location. PHASE fashion
design students from the Centre for Arts
and Technology, showcased an amazing
display of talent during their graduation
show. Splurge Handbags closed its shop
on Dresden opting to go online. Local
fashion line Orphanage is switching
gears from deconstruct to creating a new
unique line. A new high end store, Klozet
Clothing Boutique, opened in Moncton
and about a dozen other things I forgot.
These are all signs that fashion is alive
and well and growing on the East Coast.
As for Line we turned one this month!!! We would like to thank
all the readers and supporters that have seen us through the last
year. With the New Year will also come a few changes. We will be
concentration more on our online presence starting with scheduled
blog posts and more engagement on our social media platforms.
Events will also become a bigger part of the magazine to help
show case local designers in person as well as in print. We are
also creating partnerships with local businesses to bring you more
fashion and style.
Happy Holidays from everyone at Line!!
Letter from the Publisher
AMANDA KINCAID
Publisher & Owner

Letter from the Photo Editor
BRENT MCCOMBS
Photo Editor & Photographer
Clockwise from top: Sunset shot
on Westminster Bridge, models
unidentified; Makeup by Elle
Munster, as part of her Monster
Series; Model Ann Ramsay; Cait
Anthony and Kristin Langille
Dahl of the aerial troupe
Aviatrix.
Photo-editor Brent
McCombs was on
assignment during the
week of production,
so included here is a
sampling of his work
from the past couple of
months.

l i n e 5
Moncton fashion has always
been a little slower to progress
in comparison to larger cities.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of stylish
women here, it’s just harder for them to find
unique pieces in Moncton. We are the team
captain of chain stores, and let’s face it, it’s way
harder to find different, trendy pieces in chain
stores.
Luckily, for me and other fashionistas in
Moncton, twenty four year old Janique Brun
has just opened a fabulous new store called
Klozet (located at 1435 Mountain Road).
She’s carrying all the latest brand names from
Rebecca Minkoff and House of Harlow to
Line and Dot and so much more. Yes, you
heard me right, she is just 24 years old, but
seems so mature for such a young age. “I love
when people ask me how old I am, because it’s
a huge accomplishment for someone my age,”
stated Brun.
From the cozy feel of a downtown Toronto
boutique with fabulous brands to the sweet and
welcoming storeowner, it is truly what dreams
are made of. “I lived in Toronto and Montreal
for a year each and wanted to bring a piece of
that to Moncton.”
Klozet caters to anyone between the ages of 20
to 50 years old. Even more exciting is that they
carry both men’s and women’s clothing making it
a unique attraction for Moncton fashion lovers.
They not only carry trendy pieces, but have the
best classic pieces as well, which is exactly
what every real closet hopes to obtain. “Many
stores in Moncton carry a ton of basics, so I tried
to balance out my store.” Janique shared that
she has chills when she talks about her store.
It still doesn’t feel like reality to her. When I
asked why she opened her store she said that
she’s always loved fashion and now she gets to
shop for all of Moncton. What girl wouldn’t love
to do that? It sounds like every girl’s dream!
Although it is a dream come true, it’s still not
easy. “It’s difficult to figure out what all ages
want to wear; you can’t just order things that
you want.” She loves going to work every day
and although it’s a lot of hard work, she is truly
dedicated to making it a huge success. Janique
is one of those people you meet and their passion
is contagious! You can just feel how invested
she is in this business, and you find yourself
rooting for her to succeed.
Klozet has a cute name, great clothes and
desirable finds. What more could a girl ask
for? This new store definitely has satisfied my
fashion hunger. It’s one “Klozet” you’ll never
want to leave!
SARAH DUQUETTE
Boho and Braids
www.bohoandbraids.wordpress.com

6 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
KLOZET
Photographer: Denis Duquette
Model: Jessica Auffrey
(City Models)
Hair: Mélanie Rojas
Makeup: Bastarache Beauty
Stylist: Janique Brun
Location: Tide and Boar
Gastropub

Already love Turbine by Lisa
Drader Murphy? Then you’ll
equally love her new line
and store. Lisa has opened
a second store to house her
limited edition LDM line. The
new line will incorporate
elements of Turbine with
a fresh new flair. Each
design will be handmade
and limited to 5 or 6 pieces
making LDM a more private
label. Lisa will be busy
stocking the new store
located at Historic Properties
frequently, so make room on
your shopping calendar,no
piece will last for long.
LDM
OMG

8 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
Angela Grace Jewely (from
left to right): Ste-Cecile
Talisman, Ancient Wounds
Talisman, Geode Knuckles

l i n e 9
There is a space across from the Seaport
Farmers’ Market where artists tinker
away at odd hours, amidst curling
newspaper clippings, seashells and minerals
overflowing from shelves. And, here and there, they
emerge from their studios to discuss new designs over
cups of tea, before retreating back to their creations.
The space is a set of studios at 1113 Marginal Road at
the Halifax Seaport, and two such occupants are jewelers
Tori Poynton, of Tori XO, and Angela Grace, of Angela
Grace Jewelry.
Upon entry, the building seems like an industrial
warehouse, doors showcasing names of the artists within
like offices, but this is no office space. Studios are rife
with materials, tools, and machinery from which some of
Halifax’s most beloved jewelry is made.
My first stop is to visit Tori Poynton, who welcomes me
with a cup of green tea and a tour of the studio she shares
with renowned Nova Scotian jeweler, Peter Lawrence. I
ask her if it’s odd to share such a small space. “As a
jeweler, you only need a small space, so it’s luxurious to
have this warehouse space,” she responds, sitting at her
workbench, which Peter constructed over thirty years
ago.
“I do all my business work at home, so it’s nice to have a
space to just be creative,” Poynton says of the space. “It’s
a really nice community, being surrounded by jewelers.
Everyone is really giving with their knowledge.”
I ask about the fragments of jewelry in front of her. “The
pieces that didn’t make it…I just leave them out as
inspiration,” she says. “I’ll look at it to see how it could
be improved. It’s an evolution.”
When I admit my ignorance to the jewelry-making
process, she offers to show me.
“It’s all done by hand,” she begins, taking me through the
fascinating process of melting silver, pressing it through
what resembles “a giant pasta press,” and then, at the
last minute, adding her signature touch: French lace.
The lace pattern, featured in her Chantilly collection, was
a Parisian flea market find. When Poynton experimented
with it, she found the combination of the fabric—
“something so fragile and feminine”—and metal to be
particularly striking: “It makes this strong piece of art
out of something so delicate,” she explains.
Whether in Sicily with her mom, or combing through
the mines in her home country of Australia, Poynton
normally finds her inspiration in travelling. But this is
not the case for her new collection, Mermaid’s Amulet,
launching at the end of November.
Jewels
Inside the Studios of Tori XO and Angela Grace
She Sells
by the Seaport
WHITNEY MORAN
FA S H I O N • T R E N D • S T Y L E

10 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
“Thefirstpiecefromthenewcollectioncametomeinadream,”shemuses.
“I woke up and sketched it.” She shows me the drawing, an ink twin of the
necklace she now wears. “It’s a complete departure,” she explains. Much
more three-dimensional, dreamlike, “structured yet organic.”
After a cup of green tea, Tori guides me across the hall where I find
Angela Grace Arsenault, returning from her trunk shows in LA and San
Francisco. “I just picked up some sharks’ teeth!” she says excitedly, the
way one might exclaim over any vacation souvenir. She admits that these
could very well find their way into her jewelry soon.
I ask her what she’s working on. “I have a ridiculous amount of ideas,”
she says, “that’s never a problem.” Right now she’s working out a few
new designs, but is always busy with orders for pieces from her popular
collections, including Foxes, which gained international attention at the
Pre-Emmys Talent Lounge in 2012, and Ancient Wounds, a violently
untraditional yet feminine collection inspired by donning the spoils of war
as talismans or armour for protection, and includes moulds of fossilized
shark’s teeth and plenty of chain maille.
Surprisingly, a lot of her inspiration comes from books. “I’m a big reader. I
think books have a lot of influence on what I do.” As for how this translates,
it’s less literal; more conceptual. “Just aesthetically… I try to work with
concepts a lot; unwearable art pieces. I think the conceptualism spills
over.” The most poignant example is her 2009 collection, Bibliophile I,
an unwearable collection that won that year’s Circle Craft Award, which
would theoretically allow one to carry a short story around at all times.
Since she has an air of academia, I ask her how she became a jeweler. After
studying photography and film at NSCAD, Angela took a workshop with—
now studio neighbour—Peter Lawrence, who told her she was a natural.
Soon after she found herself leaving Vancouver Community College’s
traditional European jewelry program, taught by European jewelers who
work for Cartier and Tiffany’s, with the top award.
“It’s a journey,” she says of her path to finding her current vocation. “I feel
like it was a good thing that I started when I was older, because it requires
a lot of dedication.”
Like Tori XO, Angela Grace is currently preparing for Christmas but plans
to do a few trunk shows at J & R Grimsmo over the winter.
In the meantime, both artists will continue to feed off the creativity that
lives in every crevice of this building. “The sense of community is great.
There are a number of people working in different mediums. Everyone’s
approaching art from a different perspective,” explains Grace. “We do
little jobs for each other. We sort of help each other out that way.”
Tori XO and Angela Grace will both be showing at the Halifax Crafters’
Fair (Nov 30–Dec 1) and the NSDCC Christmas Show (Nov 15–17). Visit
torixo.com & angelagracejewelry.com.
Tori XO rings
Tori XO
Tori XO

l i n e 1 1FA S H I O N • T R E N D • S T Y L E
Angela Grace
Tori XO Vionnet Cuff
Tori XO Mermaid’s Amulet
Tori at work in her studio
Tori XO lace collection
Angela working on Fox RingTori XO

12 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
Amultitude of winter
coats exist; from
oversized to structured
to military and anything else in
between. The possibilities are endless,
but finding the right one on the other
hand, that can prove to be difficult. For
something you wear every day, and the
first thing people notice; it’s worthwhile
investing in a good quality coat that
will help get you through the blustery
winter weather (in style).
Not content with what was available in
stores Pam Matheson decided to take
the initiative and create outerwear she
wanted to wear, and as a result created
her successful brand Esmé. Matheson
takes pride in the garments she
creates and favors quality over all else.
Matheson assures us she “would never
sell something she would not purchase
herself”.
Chic and cozy, the 2014 winter
collection of “The Esmé Original
Jacket” is currently in production. With
quality at the forefront of this brand,
the collection is made up of 100%
wools, wool blends and novelty fabrics
from all over the world. Combining her
love for clothing and travel, Matheson
sources from France, Italy, Germany,
Austria, and Japan, countries she
feels are known for producing quality
fabrics.
The Esmé line favors a fitted silhouette
with subtle stretch to help hug the
waist and hipline and falls to about
mid-length. Matheson suggests “it’s
a perfect length for many different
heights” and she’s dubbed it the
perfect “car coat” length”. Signature
KAYLA SHORT
Pam Matheson Brings Luxury Home to Atlantic Canada
COATCOATtoFrom

to the brand, the high stand-up collar
neckline (can also be rolled down or worn
open) creates a polished and sophisticated
look for any age.
Three weights of fabric make up the Esmé
Jacket: a lightweight stretch fabric that
woman can wear indoors in an office or
restaurant setting, a fall weight perfect
for warm days and cool evenings, and a
heavier winter weight. To help encourage
individuality Matheson produces the
jackets in small quantities, and sizes
range from 4 – 14. Lined with blends of
silk, polyester and spandex, the interiors
are designed to feel great against the skin.
Created to be very comfortable The Esmé
Original Jacket is designed to move with
the body, not against it. With its stretch
fabrics and feminine tailored fit it’s
flattering on many body types. Dressed
it up or down these jackets are a “go-to”
piece for the cooler months ahead, and
you can also taken comfort in knowing that
your jacket was made right here in Atlantic
Canada.
“The Esmé Original Jacket” for winter
2014 retails between $300 - $350.

14 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
Draped
IN DESIGN

Photography: Brent McCombs,
AlterEgo Photography
Models: Teaghan Gosley, Tamara
Chemij, Brooke MacDonald and
Hanna Ramsay
Hair: Laura Lewis
Make-up Artist: Tansy Rudnicki
Stylists: Conni Zafiris and Ashley
Garland
Location: Shadow House Studios
Most people know designer names like Michael Kors and
Dolce Vita. Haligonians are even familiar with local jewelry
from House of Moda, but the best kept secrets are coming
from other local designers Zafira, Wear Blair and Diana
Watts. Accessories from Clutch Culture and Angela Grace
and Overman round out the who’s who of East Coast fashion
seen here. Pairing established lines with local looks proves
that local is just as fashionable as luxury!

LEFT: Model: Hannah
Clothes &
accessories: Dress by
Wear Blair; Bracelet by
House of Moda; Purse
by Clutch Culture; and
Shoes by Dolce Vita @
Mills
RIGHT: Model:
Teaghan
Clothes &
accessories: Hood
scarf by Diana Watts;
Top by Diana Watts;
Leggings by Wear Blair;
Eyeball ring Overman;
Thorn Rings by Angela
Grace “Laden in Brown”;
Necklace by Overman;
and Boots by Michael by
Michael Kors
16 l i n e

LEFT: Model: Brooke Clothes &
Accessories: Top by Wear Blair;
Leggings by Wear Blair; 2 finger
bracelet by Overman; Body chain by
Overman; Purse by Clutch Culture;
and Shoes by: Dolce Vita @ Mills.
RIGHT: Model: Tamara Clothes
& Accessories: Pink slouchy cardi
by Zafira; Crop top by Diana Watts;
Leggings by Wear Blair; Bracelet by
House of Moda; Earrings by House
of Moda; and Shoes by Michael by
Michael Kors @ Mills
l i n e 1 7

18 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
BEHIND THE
SCENES

Model: Teaghan Clothes &
Accessories: Romper by Zafira;
Mounted Fox Head Bangle by
Angela Grace Jewelry; Mounted
Fox Head by Necklace Angela
Grace Jewelry; Bag by Marc by
Marc Jacobs @ Mills; and Shoes
by French Connection @ Mills
Model: Tamara Clothes &
Accessories: Relax Blazer by
Zafira; Romper by Zafira; Shark
Tooth Necklace by Angela
Grace Jewelry; and Shoes by
Michael by Michael Kors @ Mills
1 9

In today’s fashion industry
where big companies like
Forever 21 and H&M are
shooting out products faster than
you can say mass-production, it’s
important to find designers who want
to emphasize a sense of quality and
heritage in fashion.
Veronica MacIsaac, designer of
Veronica MacIsaac Apparel, strives
for those qualities. A completely
bespoke clothing and accessory line
of tartan pieces, MacIsaac provides
a modern take on the Celtic tradition,
without the grandmother or Britney
Spears school-girl effect. Learning
how to sew at the age of four and having
childhood bedroom walls adorned
with Vogue ads, she always held a love
for fashion. But, it wasn’t until a few
life crises and unsatisfying jobs that
MacIsaac realized she needed to do
something that made her happy.
“Fashion is the only thing I know
that I’m really good at,” explains
MacIsaac. “You have to do something
you know. In today’s day and age, you
can’t just make a pretty dress. There’s
way too many people doing it cheaper
and better than you, so there has to be
some kind of niche. This is my niche.”
Before you picture the punk plaid
trend sweeping fashion blogs, envision
instead a historically valuable pattern
of lines and colours that represent a
family heritage. Contrary to plaid,
tartans are hundreds of years old,
and the varying sets of lines and
colours are symmetrically designed
to represent different clans. A
traditional kilt alone takes 22 hours
to create, hand-stitched with a needle
and thread by MacIsaac. However an
entire collection of modern designs
takes months of creating, cutting and
sewing.
Cover Story
Fashion designer, Veronica MacIsaac.
COURTNEY SMITH

This established designer not only
delivers a beautiful product, but
actually makes a difference in
extending a family’s history. MacIsaac
recalls one experience where a woman’s
husband suddenly passed away and
didn’t want to dispose of the kilt he had
treasured for years. Discovering that
MacIsaac’s parents had made the kilt
12 years before, the designer became
a part of this family’s history. Using the
material, buckles, and lining, MacIsaac
transformed the memento into a 40s
short-sleeved jacket and a flared skirt
giving the kilt a new life.
Not only has MacIsaac shown
collections in every Atlantic Fashion
Week to date, but this Halifax-born
designer is invited to every fashion
week in North America, London
Fashion Week, and has appeared in
Vogue Italia and British Vogue. She
has revealed collections in New York
at Dress to Kilt and From Scotland
With Love, prestigious events in
the Scottish world showcasing other
visionaries such as Vivienne Westwood
and Alexander McQueen. Recently,
she travelled to Oceanstone in Peggy’s
Cove on a fashion retreat hosted by the
influential Jeanne Beker, where she
presented her work alongside other
Halifax-established fashion labels.
But, despite her worldwide success,
this elite designer has not and will not
let fame take priority.
“It’s not a glamorous lifestyle; look at
me,” points MacIsaac to her simple
denim and zip up sweatshirt, hair in a
messy bun. “The shows are all people
want to hear about, but you have to
come home and put on your sweatpants
and make your own clothes. You have
to be okay with this part; you can’t just
do it two times a year to go out and wave
at a crowd.”
22 l i n e

l i n e 2 3
Evidently, MacIsaac proves that big
egos don’t lead to success. It’s still
under wraps, but MacIsaac exclusively
told Line that she has big plans in
the making, which will be officially
revealed in the New Year. MacIsaac
is currently working on a menswear
and womenswear line, and will be
teaming up with a prominent Nova
Scotian businesswoman to create a new
collection to be released in London in
early February. Curious? You’ll have to
stay tuned, because that’s all MacIsaac
is spilling for now.
So, if you want a staple in your
wardrobe that is not just fashionable,
but represents a piece of you and where
you came from, I suggest you check
out Veronica MacIsaac Apparel. She’s
passionate, determined, and creative
in redefining fashion with meaning.
And, despite working in one of the
most stressful industries in the world,
she insists that she wouldn’t trade it for
anything.
“No matter how bleek things are, you
have to keep working,” confirms the
confident fashionista. “This is my life.
I’ve never been happier, and I’ve never
been so fulfilled.”
Models: Kevin Hull & Kristin Langille Dahl
Clothing: Veronica MacIsaac Apparel
Photographer: Brent McCombs, Alterego Photography
Photography Assistant: Michelle Olsen
Hair and Makeup: Elle Munster

Photography: Brent McCombs
Model: Highland dancer Tasha Reilkoff
Hair: Cara MacInnis
Styling Assistant: Sarah McKenna
Location: Basel, Switzerland at
Basler Münster Cathedral

26 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
This fall, Splurge
Handbags, one of
Halifax’s go-to boutiques
for fashionable accessories, locked
the door of their brick-and-mortar
store for the last time, in favour of a
new online store that’s set to launch
this month. A fashion staple in the
Spring Garden Road area for years,
Splurge started with a location in
Spring Garden Place, moved to
Park Lane, and finally relocated to a
storefront location on Brenton Street.
According to owner Sarah deWolf, all
of these moves were in response to a
need for more square footage. But in
2008, the worsening economy began
to take its toll and, after a few years, it
simply wasn’t feasible to maintain the
downtown store any longer. “It’s just
too hard to run a store in downtown
Halifax right now,” explained deWolf.
“I’m sure it’s just in transition and
will come back, but it’s too difficult to
hang on until it does.”
And Splurge isn’t unique. A number
of downtown fashion boutiques
have closed over the past year,
including Pretty Things Boutique,
Layla Boutique, HIM Boutique and
Renaissance Clothing Company.
Gordon Stevens, founder of I Love
Local Halifax, paints an accurate
picture: “When you step onto Spring
Garden Road now, you look at your
options and say ‘I don’t know where
to shop.’ But a few years ago, it was
‘I don’t know which store to choose.’
It used to be that there was a lot of
choice, but there really isn’t anymore.”
When you ask retailers about running
a store downtown, the complaints
are almost universal. One of the
most commonly cited challenges is
competition with the big box meccas,
Bayers Lake and Dartmouth Crossing.
“I tried bring in things that were
different from what you get from the
big box stores,” says deWolf. “Some
things were similar, but mine were
better quality and the big box stores
carried them six months to a year later
than I would have.”
Trish Tacoma is the owner of Smoking
Lily, which she founded in Victoria
shortly after she began sewing
silkscreened scarves in her spare
bedroom. After a summer of peddling
her wares at an outdoor market, she
found a small retail space in a prime
area of the city and moved her shop
indoors. That was eighteen years ago.
She now has a second Smoking Lily in
Vancouver, and another Victoria shop
called Milkman’s Daughter. She feels
lucky because, like Halifax, Victoria
doesn’t have any big box fashion
stores downtown. And, according to
Tacoma, Victoria is thriving.
Right now, Victoria’s downtown
association is running a campaign
that features signs on lampposts
and parking metres that address
common complaints about downtown.
One example will sound familiar
to Haligonians “Some of the signs
address the complaints that there
is no parking,” says Tacoma. “They
point out exactly how many parking
spots we do have.” And not only
does Victoria have plenty of parking,
the city has also taken the edge
off the costs by offering an hour of
free parking in city parkades with
a stamp from a downtown retailer.
Plus, all city-owned parking is free on
SARAH SAWLER
Reviving
Taking Halifax’s fashion boutiques to the next level
DOWNTOWN

Sunday—including the parkades.
Unlike Tacoma, deWolf doesn’t
seem to feel lucky to have avoided
downtown big box competition. She
believes that big box competition and
parking issues have teamed up to draw
shoppers out of the downtown core
entirely. “Big box stores are setting
up in business parks, where there’s
ample free parking,” she says. “And
now the office workers have moved
out as well, because their companies
are also taking larger, newer spaces in
these business parks.”
It’s not just the lure of endless parking
lots and shiny new buildings taking
offices out of downtown. When it
comes to rent, offices are feeling
the same crunch as the boutiques.
Stevens thinks that downtown
landlords need to take a closer look
at what they’re trying to charge their
tenants. “There are a lot of landlords
with vacant spaces and an unrealistic
expectation of rent,” he says. “They
don’t seem to get that the businesses
are struggling. It’s almost like they’re
saying ‘The businesses are failing,
but it’s not our fault. We’ll just get
another tenant.’ But as you can see on
Spring Garden road, the businesses
aren’t coming.” He points to the The
Trillium on South Park to support
his argument: “It’s full because it’s
cheaper. If our main shopping street
is going to be desolate, the landlords
need to take some responsibility for
the viability of stores on that street.”
But the rent problem isn’t unique to
Halifax. Tacoma also cites rent as her
biggest expense, next to labour. “I just
spent a few months looking for a new
studio space,” she says, “and I was
really surprised by how many empty
spaces there were, and how unwilling
the landlords are to lower the rent. I
don’t understand it.”

28 l i n e FA L L 2 0 1 3
Bleak as this picture might seem,
there are solutions. Right now,
there’s a lot of talk about street
level animation, with a focus on
pedestrianizing specific streets.
According to Stevens, New York has
made huge sections of Broadway
pedestrian-only, and despite an initial
uproar from local businesses, their
sales are now up 250%. The streets
are packed with people, occupying the
tables and chairs set up in the middle
of the street. “Those people sit there,
and they look at the stores across
from them. Then they get up and go
in,” says Stevens. “We need to make
downtown fun and exciting, to draw
people in.”
There might also be a disconnect at
the education level. Stevens feels that,
when future fashion designers and
artisans work through their chosen
education program, it’s extremely
important for them to complete a
mandatory business component.
“I don’t know how much of the
business side is taught in school,”
says Stevens, “but I get a sense that
there’s not enough of it. There are
industry norms that exist, and they
exist because there’s a cost of doing
business at every level. The people
on the creative production side need
to understand those norms before they
start.”
Above all, retailers need to understand
the challenges that exist, and make
educated, smart business decisions
with those issues in mind. There are
a few downtown Halifax boutiques
who seem to have mastered those
challenges, including Biscuit General
Store, Wildflower Clothing and Sweet
Pea Boutique. All three stores share
a common trait: spectacular, personal
customer service. “When you go
into Biscuit, you feel Wendy’s touch
throughout the whole place,” says
Stevens. “And I don’t think Wildflower
has many customers who don’t know
Jill by name.”
Tacoma feels that research is key. She
avoids waste by initially producing
each new item on a very small scale—
just four of each design. Then she
sends them to her retail stores and
waits for feedback. If the design
falls flat, it doesn’t hurt her much,
because she hasn’t invested a lot. And
if it’s wildly popular, she can react
quickly and go into full production.
“Ultimately, it’s your business,” says
Tacoma. “It has nothing to do with
other people. You have to make sure
that every cent you spend is smart
and that you provide good customer
service. And you should always make
people feel like they’re at home.”
Reviving Downtown (continued)

WINNER OF OUR TAG YOUR STYLE
HFX CONTEST Lauren Stevens
@lauren_nstevens @linemagazine
@aleaxapopeind #stylehalifax Lauren won a
#fashion not for the faint of heart shirt and a
$25 GC from Alexa Pope www.alexapope.ca
shortpresents
Home sick today sporting some buffalo plaid
and winter socks #halifaxstyle
@linemagazinehali @alexapopeind
#canadianblogger #canadianstyle #ootdhfx
#ootd #cozy #sickday #fashionblogger
#bestoftheday #halifaxfashion @oldnavy
#onstyle #oldnavy #buffaloplaid #winteroutfits
#style #blogger #contests
Jennifer Merlin @jennifermerlin
22 November
I want to win some @alexapopeind stuff!
@linemaghalifax #stylehalifax
Sarah @SAPL
24 November
I think my #stylehalifax is casual with a little
pop! @linemaghalifax @alexapope pic.twitter.
com/ZNtl6VrGT0
Pages 4-6 Klozet Clothing Boutique 1435 Mountain Road, Moncton, New
Brunswick Page 7 LDM by Lisa Drader Murphy Historic Properties, 1869
Upper Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia Pages 8-11 Angela Grace Jewelry
online www.angelagracejewelry.com Tori XO Various location nationwide
including Lady Luck, Hydrostone 5519 Younge Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia or
online http://store.torixo.com Page 12-13 Esme Original Jacket esme@
glinx.com. Check out their Facebook page for updates on their website, coming
soon www.facebook.com/EsmeOriginalJacket.PamelaMatheson Pages 14-
19 Mills 5486 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia House of Moda 5486
Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia or online houseofmoda.ca Overman
93 Water Street, Charlottetown, PEI, various locations throughout the Maritimes
including Reneu Boutiqe 349 King Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick and
P'Lovers, The Trillium, 1443 South Park Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Online www.
overman.ca Zafira Apparel on Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/zafiraapparel Clutch
Culture Biscuit General Store, 1661 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, www.
etsy.com/ca/shop/ClutchCulture Wear Blair by Ashley Reading www.facebook.
com/wearblair Diana Watts Clothing by Ashley Garland www.facebook.com/
DianaWattsFashion Cover & Cover Story Page 20-25 Veronica MacIsaac
Apparel www.veronicamacisaac.com
Owner/Publisher AMANDA KINCAID
amanda@linemagazine.ca
Photo Editor BRENT McCOMBS
alteregohalifax@mac.com
Editors SARAH LYON
Creative Director LAURA FLETCHER
laura@laurafletcherdesign.com
Advertising sales@linemagazine.ca
If you would like to discuss advertising or sponsorship, contact us at
sales@linemagazine.ca
Follow Line on Twitter @linemaghalifax
Follow Line on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/linemagazinehali?ref=hl
WHERE TO BUY
Dress: Veronica
MacIsaac Apparel,
MacQueen Tartan
Location: From
Scotland with Love
show, New York

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