Citizen Vintage is one of our favourite haunts in Montreal—and not just because they act as our unofficial spokeswomen in the city, representing WORN at craft shows and hosting issue launch parties. More than just a shop (and a delightful shop filled with treasures at that), the store also brings fashion-friendly folks together for various events. Partners Brooke Doyle, Rebecca Emlaw, and Lara Kaluza talk to Worn about the value of vintage clothing, the importance of keeping a strong presence in their community, and Indiana Jones’s bow-tie.

Why is it important to shop vintage?

Rebecca: Vintage is a way of life for me now. Fashion is about individuality, and vintage selection can offer that. We never have two of the same pieces on the racks. Vintage is good quality for a good price. And substainability is important to me: vintage clothes practically have a zero carbon footprint, due to the fact that everything is already there.

Lara: Personally, I wear vintage because I find the clothing sold at big brand clothing stores is made so poorly that it falls apart in a few months. Plus, I hate showing up at a party wearing the same thing as someone else—I like that uniqueness vintage pieces give to my wardrobe.

Brooke: It’s pointless to spend your money (whether it’s $20 or $200) on something brand new, only to have it fade, stretch, peel or otherwise deteriorate within days of wear. Even “luxury” brands are just not as well made as they used to be. I trust vintage. I trust that if a leather bag, pair of boots, jacket or sweater has lasted 20 years, it will last another 20. The fact that it’s unlikely you’ll see someone wearing the same garment is just a bonus! It’s more likely you’ll see a cheaply produced newer garment replicating a vintage print or pattern, so why not buy the original?

Why is community involvement so important to you?

Brooke: We really make an effort to diversify our business by collaborating with musicians, artists, and other entrepreneurs.We work really hard to know our neighbors and be supportive of local businesses, the more we extend ourselves to others the more we learn! Citizen Vintage introduced the idea of a “vintage walking map” to the neighborhood, which includes several local vintage shops and so far has been really well received. It’s important to realize there’s strength in numbers.

Rebecca: Life and work is more interesting and fulfilling when you involve your friends and neighbours around you. There is so much great energy in this neighbourhood, it’s hard to resist involvement.

Describe each of your personal styles.

Brooke: I wear whatever I can bike in! I wear a lot of button ups, cardigans, printed dresses, Converse, and flat leather boots.

Lara: I suppose out of the three of us, I like the older vintage, ’50s and ’60s, the most. I like to mix older and newer pieces together. Though at the moment I’m really into the ’90s—I pretty much wear my chunky heel ankle boots and a rotation of little floral dresses everyday.

Rebecca: I love natural fibres and I love classic styles. I like clothing that is tailored and fits well. I’m a curvy girl and I want things to fit in all the right places. Frumpy is not a good look for my shape, so when I shop I look for darts that are well placed, and fabric that has a classic drape.

What strengths does each partner bring to the store?

Lara: The great thing about a partnership is that we do each bring different strengths to the table. Becky has never ending energy and is always positive and encouraging. Plus, she’s the only one of us who has experience running a business (she also co-owns L’Arterie Boutique), and was an invaluable resource when getting everything started. Brooke is a marketing mastermind, she has great ideas for promotions and events. She is also brilliant when it comes to merchandising—we all knew that we wanted to have our racks organized as cleanly as possible, which is really hard to achieve when every piece is different, but it comes naturally to Brooke.

Brooke: Lara has an impeccable eye. When we go sourcing for inventory, she has a knack for consistently pulling the most unique, beautiful pieces. Becky never says no to an opportunity, event, or idea. I would say they’re each completely inspirational and irreplaceable! We often say to each other, “I could never do this without you!”

Rebecca: Brooke loves bringing activity to our little shop. She is interested in the arts and fashion community and is incorporating that dynamic into the store daily. I think that Lara’s involvement with the costume and set design industry has indoctrinated her with the skill to spin straw into gold. In other words, she can create something unique with limited resources.

Have you ever grown attached to an item in the store and found it difficult to part with?

Lara: All the time. I’m terrible. There are a few items I’ve bought from the store ’cause I couldn’t let them go. I’m getting a bit better now though, I’ve learned that I need to go thrifting on my own time so I don’t end up taking half the clothes we find for the store.

Brooke: Never! I’ve moved so much in the past that I’ve gotten used to letting things go. I honestly get more excited about the prospect of a special garment going home with a happy customer than with the idea of wearing it myself.

Rebecca: We only select pieces for the store that we absolutely love, so sometimes it’s hard to not want to take everything home and put it in your closet. Brooke jokes that I have to try everything on. In fear of sounding sentimental, I think it’s my way of paying homage to the aesthetic and quality of vintage clothing. I just need to try it on at least once and bask in its prettiness.

If you could pick any fictional character to walk into the store, who would you choose? What would you dress them in?

Brooke: I would love to dress any female character from an Almodovar film.

Rebecca: Indiana Jones! He’s the best of both worlds. On one hand, as the prestigious and adored Dr. Henry Walton, he wears a three piece tweed suit with bow tie, round glasses and dress shoes. And on the other, his persona Indy, with the rugged leather lace-up boots and brown leather jacket with a classic fedora. Oh and don’t forget that famous satchel. I honestly can’t say which is my favouite.

Lara: Susie Bubble isn’t a fictional character, but I would love for her to visit the shop! She has such a creative outlook when it come to putting outfits together. We merchandise our clothing by theme or colour, we have a black rack, a natural rack, a denim rack, etc. I would love to dress her in items from our rainbow rack, we have some beautiful bright silk shirts and some loud print pants that I think Susie could totally rock!

Who are some of your fashion crushes?

Lara: I really love the style of the French New Wave starlets: Anna Karina, Jean Seberg, and Jane Birkin.

Brooke: I’m constantly inspired by our customers! One thing I love about the shop is the virtual parade of interesting, stylish men and women walking through the door. I see amazing personal style incorporating vintage, handmade, and designer clothing on our customers and it informs the choices I make in my wardrobe and what we stock.

Rebecca: Xavier Dolan. Hair and glasses can make or break a look, and he’s spot on.

How is Citizen Vintage different from other vintage shops?

Brooke: We’re the only vintage store in Montreal to blog daily, produce our own editorial photo shoots and short films, and host live music and vernissages for artists. We also work actively with stylists and bloggers and frequently loan vintage pieces from our collections for photo shoots, runway shows, and student projects. We recently held a workshop on copyright laws for fashion bloggers, and a music sharing website launch for local radio station CKUT. I think with all this, we’ve really raised the bar and are poised to keep growing in many directions.

Lara: I think what really makes us stand out is our inventory. Every single piece in our shop is hand picked. We spend a lot of time searching for pieces that reflect our personal style and current trends, and we think it’s also important to carry timeless pieces that can be a staple in your wardrobe.

Rebecca: We are three equal partners and each one of us is as active and creative as the other. We are constantly bringing new ideas and concepts to the store and there is ongoing discourse among us about what will be next. It’s very exciting. In essence we are playing with the image of what a vintage store can be.

Citizen Vintage, 5330 St. Laurent Boulevard
interview by Jaclyn Irvine
photography by Yuli Sato

Audrey Cantwell portrait by Yuli Sato

Montreal designer Audrey Cantwell stays true to her own vision. From her line Ovate, which she designs and makes, to the goth, grunge-inflected vintage finds at her online store Tarantula Sisters, she keeps things dark but simple. It’s a vision that extends to her blog and her latest awesome project, the Tarantula Sisters zine.

Tell me about how the Tarantula Sisters Etsy store got started.
I had an Etsy store way back called Black Market Baby—but it was mostly stuff I didn’t want to wear anymore. Then a year and a half ago I decided I wanted to try it seriously. Originally, it was me and a friend but it’s hard to be a partner, especially when money’s involved and you have different aesthetics. I was all, “No cute sweaters with puppies!” So we went our separate ways. I’ve always really loved vintage clothes and I like the idea of not buying new stuff. I like vintage that doesn’t look like vintage, nice fabrics, nice cuts, classic things. I also have a soft spot for ’90s grunge.

How did you come up with the idea for the zine?
I’ve made zines in the past for my friends, like an Iggy Pop fanzine. I had the idea about six months ago to do a zine that’s all collaborative projects. It was a reason to get to know people who I would otherwise have no reason to contact. There’s an endless number of people in Montreal I want to work with. I’m into fashion big time, so for sure it’s a fashion zine—I styled some shoots and did an interview with my friend Maude Nibelungen who’s an awesome knitter—but I’m also into punk in Montreal and illustration and comics, so it’s got that too.

From Tarantula Sisters Zine #3

The fashion shoots are very professional. Is that hard to pull off?
The only thing that’s hard is trying to find people who are down to do it for fun, because there’s no budget. But I’ve got some wicked friends like makeup artists and hair stylists, who are always willing to help. My friends model, or I’ll model. And often agencies, if they have new models, will let you use them for free. I usually work with all girl teams, which I feel is a bit unusual in Montreal. I’m all about the girl teams for fashion shoots; we have fun. We smoke a joint, we drink some beer, eat snacks, and do a shoot.

Kind of like the ultimate sleepover.
Yeah! And then we stay up all night and go through, like, 3,000 photos. I would do a shoot every week if I could.

You mentioned that you don’t like the idea of buying new clothes. How do you reconcile that with the fact that you’re also a designer?
I like the idea of handmade. Everything you can buy used, buy used, but I’m a kind of craftsperson and I like artisan things and I think that’s important to support. I mean new things in the way of going the mall, and buying a bunch of crap. For the most part, I only wear used clothes except for a few special things that my friends made, or I made. But I’m not going to lie, I’ve got a few things from Zara.

Audrey in her studio by April Lea

Is this a new realization?
Yeah. I worked at Urban Outfitters and H&M during school and I was all over that shit. After two or three years of working in retail, I realized that after every year I’d have nothing from the year before. It wasn’t worth anything to me; it wasn’t worth anything to anyone. I felt like I wasted so much money and was impulsive on trends and I just ended up wearing the same thing as everyone else. After I stopped working there, didn’t have a good discount anymore, and only bought stuff at the thrift store, I felt like my style was much better. I felt cooler and looked better trying to be creative with second-hand things.

Are you aware of that when you’re designing? Making something timeless?
Gosh, I don’t really think about it too much. A lot of people say my stuff is goth, and I guess goth is a trend, but there are pieces that people would wear for many years—at least that’s what I hope for.

interview by Sacha Jackson

On this round of WORN crushes we are focusing on locals girls Justine Diener and Kristin Poon, who design and produce a clothing line under the name Diepo. The clothes are beautifully made, with attention to small details, fit, and an overall view to flattering the female shape. I am particularly enamoured with the black and cream feather printed textiles used in their current collection (which you can pick up at both Robber and Rac Boutique). Justine took some time out of her hectic schedule to chat with WORN about fashion in Toronto, the process of collaboration and the origins of that feather fabric I like so much.

How did Diepo come to exist?
We started while still studying fashion design at Ryerson. Our original concept was to create a line inspired by vintage lingerie, with both daywear and shapewear pieces that could be worn on their own or styled together.

Besides designing your own line of clothing, what else do you do?
Kristin has recently relocated to New York, and enjoys baking and making ice cream in her new spacious kitchen. Justine has traditional Amish interests such as middle-parted long hair, canning fruit and vegetables, and has recently taken up weaving.

How does the collaboration between you and your design partner work? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
We usually start by creating a mood board. We use films, shapes, textures, colors, songs, places, memories. That forms am anchor or reference point to keep the collection cohesive. Then we both sketch for a few weeks, go over them and keep the things we both like, then build on them. The advantages are having constant feedback and support. There really aren’t that many disadvantages… Being in a partnership forces compromise, which can be frustrating at times but usually pays off.

How important is the role of social media for Diepo? Are you an avid blog/Tumblr/Twitter follower?
More and more, all the time. It’s a great way to reach people and let them know what’s going on, and to get feedback. But it has been a bit of a challenge for us. We’re both pretty private people and we find it hard sometimes to tweet as much as we should. We recently started a Tumblr page which is a great way to share our daily inspirations with people.

If you could design an outfit for anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Parker Posey! She is such an effortless babe, not to mention hilarious.

How did you dress in high school?
Justine was a ’90s hippie, army pants, tie dye and Doc Martens. Kristin went to an all-girls Catholic school and wore a kilt and knee socks with penny loafers.

Are there certain people in your life that have influenced your style? Who and how?
Justine’s boyfriend, printmaker Ben Szoller helped to develop our FW11 feather print, so that season was strongly influenced by his aesthetic.

What are you favorite places to shop in Toronto?
Robber on Queen Street West, Rac in Yorkville, Tabula Rasa on Broadview, and Value Village.

Diepo’s Top Five Favorite Toronto designers:
Jessica Mary Clayton
Jeremy Laing
Muttonhead Collective
Headmistress
Sunny Fong - Vawk

Diepo is having a three days trunk sale at Robber which they are kicking off with a party on December 1st from 6pm until 10pm. You can find great deals on holiday gifts and clothing from Diepo as well as other brands, and all while sipping on a drink and eating holiday sweets.

photography by Katie Bateman
interview by Natasha Bigioni

When Haley Wornette suggested we do a crush on poet Michael Lista, we jumped at the opportunity — a storm of clicks resonated through Parkdale as our heels landed on the ceramic floors of the WORN office. Lista’s first book of poems, Bloom, was released to widespread acclaim, and he is currently working on his second book titled The Scarborough. Lista describes both works as sharing “an interest in the Canadian character, and particularly the allergies of the Canadian imagination. I’m interested in the stories we ignore, or don’t want to remember. Canada’s a new country, but it suffers from an illness associated with the elderly: amnesia. I’m interested in how poetry’s mnemonic qualities can co-mingle with that Canadian amnesia.” Lista assumed his role as Poetry Editor at The Walrus on September 1st, which just so happened to be his birthday — and in Harris tweed blazers, or cuffed white slacks, Michael Lista brings a whole new meaning to the term Birthday Suit.

How does the way you dressed in high school compare to how you dress currently?
I’m sorry to report that I went to a Catholic high school, where I had to wear a uniform. Now that I think about it, the uniform is one of the few things that I actually genuinely enjoyed about the experience. Wearing the uniform — grey slacks, white button-down, tie, navy blazer — has made my default dress pretty dressy. Save the hottest of days, I don’t usually leave the house without a sport coat and tie. I just feel comfortable that way.

How (if at all) does fashion play into being a writer, or even your own poetry?
Poetry and fashion! There’s so much to say. Well of course it’s terribly unfashionable to be a poet. Most poets are terribly unfashionable. Ooh, I’ve got another one: a lot of poems bore — especially poems written by young poets— precisely because they’re trying too hard to be fashionable.

In our culture, do you think there is a stereotypical way individuals expect a poet to dress? How does the way you dress feed into, or counter this aesthetic?
Well the two unimaginative rejoinders are that people either expect poets to be dressed in lice-ridden rags, or severe Elizabethan court regalia. In truth, most of them are dressed like the people around on the 506 College Car. I can get ragged on for how I dress; some people find it old-fashioned or ostentatious. I don’t really give a damn. And now that I think about it, people have said the same thing about my poems, so at least they can’t fault me for being inconsistent. My taste in poems and clothes are similar: I like both to be well-made, beautiful, and a little on the formal side.

What is your favourite poetic school, and your favourite fashion movement? Do you think these coincide or influence each other in any way?
I have soft spots for the Elizabethans, the Metaphysical Poets, a Romantic every now and again (especially John Clare), and the High Modernists. And I love men’s fashion that takes its cues from the Jazz Age. The ’20s and early ’30s were a good time to be dressing well.

Who is your favourite fictional style icon?
I always imagine J. Alfred Prufrock as being sort of weirdly fashionable. “I grow old…I grow old…/ I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.” Throw on some loafers and call yourself a hipster!

What fashion media do you read?
The Sartorialist, but that’s about it.

text by Casie Brown
photography by Samantha Walton