Aritzian Culture

A commenter alerted me to the Vancouver based set of “boutiques” called Aritzia as a possible replacement for Topshop when I get over there; not necessarily because their offerings are similar, but because girls have a tendency to dress head to toe in their wares (ie. walking mannequins) as many girls do over here in that high street mecca, – the top of the shops if you will! Of course this will be of no consequence for any Canadian readers I may have, but I thought I’d share my findings with those of you still in the dark about this fashion-forward, and self-proclaimed sustainable, store.

“We’re inspired by the energy of culture and connecting you to it, bringing everything we love together in one place. Our favourite books and magazines, music you have to hear, and, of course, the fashion. Every store design is unique, from the artwork and graphics, to our friends who DJ in-store. The Aritzia experience is one of a kind, so come check us out.”

It sounds interesting but I’m wary of it being a little too Urban Outfitters for my taste. I’m a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to UO; I like a lot of the brands they stock, whilst equally a lot of it is blah. Some of it is downright offensive and seems to just be there purely for the (bad) publicity. Basically it’s a hipster haven, and an overpriced one at that, but you can score some gems in their sales.

The thing to focus on should probably be Aritzia’s stock rather than their “core aims” and whatever they perceive themselves to be, which often I find is a load of non-words and marketable jargon,- so here are a few images of their autumn winter collections, swiped from A Haute Mess.

It seems to be a great mix of the fashion-forward (note: camel coat, camel trousers, desert and hiking boots, leather shorts, grungy knitwear) and the timeless; but really, the “fashion-forward” of this season isn’t forward at all. There’s an emphasis on wearable, practical clothes which can be worn time and time again. I can’t vouch for quality or price at the moment, not having yet visited a store, but I will be sure to in the first couple of weeks I am in Vancouver. Judging by the store’s popularity over there (they have 12 of them in Vancouver alone!) and with Canadian bloggers in particular, I may soon be a convert to the church of Aritzia.