Fashion Stores
Magwood
Magwood on Dundas West is offering luxury vintage pieces draped in history. Each piece, hand selected by owner Sarah Magwood, seems to tell a little story about where it came from and the time it was first made to be worn.
There's the Victorian petticoat ($285), probably made sometime in the late 1800s, detailed with eyelet lace and hand-stitched design. Fast forward, oh, 75 years or so, when it was all about freedom and love, embodied by an orange hand crocheted overlay ($135). Then, about 20 years after that, when love turned to punk and grunge, a soft-as-butter red leather jacket ($150) would've certainly made the scene.
Sarah opened Magwood just two weeks ago, unable to resist the hardwood floors and exposed brick walls she encountered when she first saw the space was available for lease. Since then, she's added little touches here and there to up the vintage feel, including a massive mirror salvaged from the original Creeds.
Sarah started a design series in 2009 called Make Sale, which ran for six months at the Drake Hotel. During that time, she kept making connections, growing her network, and--of course--visiting estate sales.
"I just couldn't help but buy the beautiful things I would find," she tells me when I drop by Magwood one afternoon. "Even if they weren't in my size, I would still buy them." So she new she needed to expand. Always comfortable in a retail environment, especially since her mom owns a décor shop in the city, Sarah began to create Magwood as a company, finally opening on March 30.
Magwood the store has a number of simply exquisite pieces. The jewelry (starts at $20), housed in a vintage case doubling as the cash, is chunky and gold, especially the earrings which all seem to hang and dangle. A sucker for boots, I'm drawn to a pair of black Versace cowboys, complete with a classic--almost gaudy--Medusa head front and centre (($395). And then there are the bags, each gracefully detailed, notably the 1940s beaded wicker purse ($85).
For now, Sarah is sticking with fashion and accessories, but she's considering opening up the basement to eventually sell antiques.
"I want to do everything," she says. "That's sort of my problem. I just love the pursuit of beautiful things."
Photos by Dennis Marciniak
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$60 for a Levi's denim shirt?
ummm.... what's going on?!?
Not only is she no nice at all, she has extreme attitude. Not impressed at all.
I have built fantastic relationships with my clients, several of whom are now good friends. I wouldn't be able to pursue my passion, if it wasn't for the amazing people who love and support my boutique.
As for the cost of Levi's, I can't speak to that point, because I only sold casualwear for the first few months I was open. I remember prices being less than what Carly mentions. In either case, my clients come to me because they appreciate my curated aesthetic. Everything I sell is pristine and it's all true vintage, other than the secondhand designer goods that - I have been told by collectors from around the world - are fairly priced.
I don't pick. I have private appointments and that means that it takes me a lot longer to find unique pieces, especially because I'm relatively new to the business and don't have nearly as many contacts as veteran dealers. It also means that I pay more for my stock than many, but in return I meet the people behind the clothes and I get to hear their stories.
If I did things differently, I would have never known that 1950s gold etched clutch I sold was the first present Ms. B. got from her husband after immigrating from Iran; I wouldn't have been able to tell my client that the dress she just purchased got a woman into Studio 54.
Sarah was extremely helpful, pulling out lots of pieces that I loved, I walked away with a beautiful pendant and earrings at extremely reasonable prices.
It takes time for her to find great pieces and rent on Dundas isn't cheap. I feel that the previous comments did not take into account how much it takes to run a business. If you want a cheap deal....go to yard sales and hope you actually find something that is not junk. If your time is important to you, go to Magwood and walk about with something you will love.