Photo courtesy of Lauryn Kronick
Post by Lauryn Kronick
What started off as a way to make space in her Chinatown apartment has become a physical reality for Aria LeRoux. Her love of vintage fashion, recycling clothing, screenprinting, jewelry and art has resulted in a new store in the Golden Triangle, Gypsy & Co, which opened this week.
Gypsy & Co moves into the space after Aunt Olive’s Vintage, a pillar in Ottawa’s vintage-clothing community, said good-bye to earlier this week after four years in business. Gypsy & Co will stay to true to the two-tiered café/boutique concept pioneered by Aunt Olive’s by providing a space for fashion, foodie and art enthusiasts alike.
Aria started off selling clothing and accessories through an Etsy store. Having existed as an online shop for over a year has allowed Gypsy & Co to make a mark for itself on a local level. Initially starting as a reason to get rid of excess clothing while she switched apartments, Aria kept adding more items to their gallery, including her own work, which left her wanting more face time with customers.
“After participating in craft fairs and other community events, people were commenting that we should open up a shop. The on-line shop is fun, but it’s easy to forget about the actual community that’s out there,” Aria says.
The shop’s roster of clothing and accessories comes from a variety of sources, including Aria and her business partner Alex Beaton’s own handicraft, which transforms “unloved clothing” through screenprinting and other modifications. Aria also dabbles in making her own jewelry. The plan is to expand into the local fashion community and include items from Ottawa-based designers.
Aria and Alex emphasized their wish that Gypsy & Co act as both a space for fashion and for the community. Plans for the store include a gallery with rotating monthly artists and vernissages to mark their openings, hopefully expanding into small-scale community events involving Ottawa’s literary arts and music scenes. The café will bring in munchies from Auntie Loo’s and The Record Shaap will still be located downstairs.
“We’re open-minded as to how people want to use this space,” Aria explains.
Stop by today (April 1) for their opening shindig, snack on some treats from Auntie Loo’s and peruse the racks (yes, there will be opening deals) with tunes provided by The Record Shaap. Gypsy & Co will be celebrating from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 209 Gilmour (just west of Elgin).
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