AI Riders on the Storm jacket from Italy.
An occasional series highlighting new stores and hidden gems worth shopping at in the city
chAlk
2647 Yonge St., 647-349-7422, chlk.com
The owners
Asli and Ali Tusavul
In a nutshell
For the savvy mom and dad shopper who are seeking out new and different styles for their children.
The story
As a husband-and-wife team, we run two large multinational businesses servicing clients across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, but we are parents first and foremost. Because of our two young boys, we have become children's fashion enthusiasts. We grew tired of the big-name kids fashion brands and were convinced there was a market for new, innovative and, above all, wearable clothing for kids. Throughout our travels, we found ourselves seeking out children's boutiques and shops across Europe to outfit our two boys. Now we do the same for our third child, our store chAlk. It really is a dream job for the two of us and we personally do all of the buying ourselves.
The stock
We carry 12 (and counting) brands from Europe, mainly from France, Belgium, Denmark and Italy. These brands are part of a new generation of fashion emerging in Europe that are specifically designing for kids. There are countless baby shops out there, but chAlk focuses on ages 4 to 16.
The philosophy
From "one of a kind" pieces to seasonal must-haves, each chAlk-selected brand is designed to tell a story as unique as the child who wears it.
The buy
AI Riders on the Storm jacket: Although these iconic jackets come from Italy, they are ideal for our Canadian winters. What makes this jacket unique is its hood. The hood not only covers your head, but also covers your entire face and has built-in goggles, as well as nose and ear holes. Parents love this jacket because it eliminates the need for a hat or scarf. And since the entire jacket is made with down, your little ones are kept extra toasty inside. We carry both adult and children sizes and will begin selling our new models in September. $299- $449 for children sizes
This interview has been edited and condensed.