Buying Local: Slak on Villeray

Buying Local: Slak on Villeray

A few weeks ago when my father was visiting from Vancouver, we walked past Slak, a women's clothing store where the articles are sewn right on the premises. At the time, we could see four young women busy sewing through the storefront window and a few women shopping on the other side. "You'd never see something like that on the West Coast," said my father. "Because you'd never be able to pay the rent in a similar neighbourhood of Vancouver."

As I was running an errand this week, I had a chance to drop in and speak with the store's designer Mélanie Duhaime. She told me that Slak had been open for seven years and that everything was made locally, including some of the work that she outsources to people working from home. I also learned that Slak articles are sold throughout Canada via KA Agence.

Initially, as I walked around the store, I wasn`t sure if I would find anything in my size. But the store did offer a much larger range in sizes than I expected. The cut of the designer`s clothes are typically asymmetrical, but refined nonetheless. Obviously, they are more expensive than what you would pay in a large retail outlet, but in addition to supporting your neighbourhood`s economy and a young designer, your new clothing will be one of a kind.

To see the fall and winter collection, click here.

Fortunately, they were having a sale, which I took advantage of. And in keeping with my 8-week resolution, I paid cash, which didn`t kill this week`s budget.

There are a number of stores affiliated with Slak in Quebec, as well as stores in Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario. For a full list of the affiliates, click here (points de vente).

The Side of Slak Where the Clothing is Made

Slak
352 Villeray
Montreal, QC
H2R 1G9
www.slak.ca




Other hood-related posts:
Churros: The Uruguayan
Who's a Cyclopathe
Neon Icon: Miss Villeray
Café Cuzcatlan: Roasting Local Coffee Beans
Creole Cuisine
Oriental Pastry Delights