The Okanagan Valley is known for its fertile wine terroir, but its idyllic town of Penticton, B.C., is also home to an equally delightful women’s-wear boutique. Ad Hoc was opened in 2012 by Virginia Bray, who takes inspiration from the ease and elegance of the picturesque town. “We have a relaxed lifestyle in Penticton, so we try to choose pieces that can be styled many different ways, allowing our customers the flexibility to be casual in our everyday local scene, and more formal or professional when the occasion demands it.”
| To outfit her local community, Bray offers a careful selection from international small batch designers who believe in ethical, sustainable and local production. These include Canadian labels such as Sunja Link, Ora-C, Corey Moranis, Valérie Dumaine and Ursa Minor. Zero-waste brands such as Toit Volant of Los Angeles and Miranda Bennett of Austin, Tex., Ace & Jig, Bare Knitwear and Osei Duro each work closely with local communities in India, Peru and Ghana on production.
| Earlier this year, Bray moved Ad Hoc to a new storefront just two blocks from the beach. The more spacious location provided room for Bray to expand into an all-natural apothecary and textiles from local weavers Cloth Tone. “It’s a very social space, designed around wine, food and friends,” she explains, adding that it offers the opportunity for their community to gather and feel as if they’re on holiday while promoting the local scene. “We’re so lucky to have so many talented female winemakers for customers and we love to share their work with our customers,” Bray says of their in-store events. “There are advantages to living in wine country.”
| Ad Hoc, 261 Main St., Penticton, BC, 778-476-5545, shopadhoc.com.
| | | | Story continues below advertisement | | | | Style news Montreal-based footwear and accessories brand Aldo has launched a new initiative to help reduce fashion-based waste. Through a partnership with Give Back Box, an organization that collects used goods for charitable donation in corrugated boxes, customers can fill an Aldo shoe box or other box with donations including shoes, accessories, handbags and clothing, print a shipping label online, attach it to the box and ship it for free. In addition to collecting donations for Goodwill and the Salvation Army, the box used to ship the items is given a second life before being recycled. For more information, visit aldoshoes.com/ca/en/give-back-box.
| Japanese essentials brand Uniqlo is amplifying its popular t-shirt collection. Short for Uniqlo T-shirt, UT taps into the creativity of global artists, creating new designs featuring manga, animations, Japanese culture, games and characters. At the brand’s downtown Toronto location in the CF Toronto Eaton Centre on May 9, Uniqlo is unveiled a new area dedicated to UT, featuring more than 1,000 patterns, which have featured the likes of Marvel characters, Mickey Mouse and Peanuts. For more information, visit Uniqlo.ca.
| Two limited-edition collections hit shelves this month. As the celebrated teen film Clueless turns 25 this year, American tennis brand K-Swiss is releasing two limited-edition sneakers to fete the anniversary. Both styles reference main character Cher Horowitz’s signature yellow plaid ensemble, which was selected by costume designer Mona May. And over at Ikea, the fifth annual Art Event tapped eight international designers to create a limited-edition collection of rugs. Featuring designs by Virgil Abloh, Craig Green and Supakitch, the floor coverings are available in select Ikea stores only. For more information, visit ikea.ca/ikeaartevent2019.
| New York fashion house Coach is launching a special pop-up in Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre that celebrates its prefall 2019 collection, which was presented in Shanghai last December. The Rexy Remix Pop-Up features pieces from the collection that were created in collaboration with Chinese musicians and artists including Sui Jianguo, Yeti Out, Zhu Jingyi and Guang Yu, each of whom put their own spin on Rexy, Coach’s designer emblem. Open May 14 to 29, the pop-up will feature the brand’s full prefall assortment of ready-to-wear, bags, footwear, and accessories. For more information, visit coach.com.
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