'There's something called fashion and there's something called style," Claudia Barila says, "and they are two very different things."
As if to illustrate the point, the 5-foot-10 beauty, a model, new mom and main squeeze of Cirque du Soleil visionary billionaire Guy Laliberté, wears pencil-leg jeans by Miss Plum ($195-$300). The cheeky brand name is the private label line for Barila's Montreal store, Appartement 51 (51 St. Paul W., 514-223-7648), which she owns and operates with partner Nathalie Néron.
"Someone with style doesn't just wear fashion. She owns it," Barila says.
There's no doubt that she "owns it," as does Néron, looking chic in tan suede boots inspired by Huron mukluks. The women are draped casually on a Louis IX loveseat in the middle of their 1,500-square-foot boutique in the centre of the city's Old Port.
Appartement 51 is part fantasy land, part lifestyle showcase. It's set up like the tony apartment of a jet setter, not unlike what Barila's might resemble. After all, the thirtysomething stylista travels the world extensively with Laliberté on the Cirque circuit.
Given Barila's and Néron's aversion to mass-market brands, the Old Montreal shop packs a mélange of obscure high-style imports along with artisan products. There's everything from Montreal-based Maxence Camille's sleek crocodile wallets ($1,250) to hand-embroidered bedspreads from a little old lady who lives in Sardinia ($795).
In between, the stock includes porcelain plates printed with cinema scenes from Italian designer Samantha Otto, chunky necklaces with semi-precious stones from Brazil (from $150), and La Peau's day cream ($85) from Switzerland.
Appartement 51's inventory mirrors the eclectic taste of the co-owners, who have been fast friends since waiting tables together a dozen years ago at Montreal eatery Buona Notte during its glory days.
They opened the store seven months ago, and with its white wooden floor and vintage-style crystal Schonbeck chandelier, it has drawn stylin' locals and tourists alike.
"Our rule is that we both have to absolutely love an item before we'll carry it, and we only work with people we like," says Néron, who also produces multilingual children's CDs under the label Nadimadi.
"Then we order just a few items, to keep it exclusive. Our clients don't want brands you can find anywhere. They can pay for more personalized things."
While Néron focuses on business development, Barila is the globetrotter, sourcing limited-edition fashion, art and decor items.
Along with Barila's worldly buys, there is also a mix of Canadian work on hand, like Ross Munroe's sexy dining tables and low-lying beds made exclusively for Appartement 51. There are large-scale paintings by Montreal artist Jacques-Philippe Hébert (starting at $2,000), and porcelain tableware by Quebec ceramics artist Louise Bousquet.
Chunky bracelets with South Sea pearls and rings in 18-karat gold from the Montreal-based Shelly label qualify as the store's big indulgences -- one stellar piece is $22,000 -- while there are full-length silk kimonos from Woven Streams, based in Ottawa, for more accessible prices in the $600 range.
Camille not only makes crocodile wallets, but also has a line of stingray and buffalo-hide wallets ($800-$1,100) in startling colours such as turquoise and fuchsia.
There are clutches with built-in detachable belts by Vancouver-based Colie ($700-$1,000), and high-end recycled clothing by Montreal's On & On, which makes winning asymmetric skirts out of recycled men's wear fabric (starting at $250).
The show-stopper, however, is Quebec-based artisan Émilie Desmeules's line of felt, wool and cashmere jackets ($1,600), blankets ($1,200) and scarves ($160). Truly one-offs, the hand-printed designs are full of pageantry, with ethereal and whimsical flourishes of colour and abstract detail.
And the lineup is just going to get more exclusive. "What we're doing now is developing our Miss Plum shoes," says Néron, fiddling with a basket of Italian bikinis by Cheeky Pay (sexy little nothings for $170 to $230). "We're doing chocolate suede pumps, lined in satin leopard, in a limited run of only 10 pairs. The price is great, only $195, and you won't be able to find them anywhere but here."