location: 1649 Amherst
phone number: 514.678.2923
hours: Mon closed/Tues & Wed noon-6pm/Thurs & Fri noon-8pm/Sat 11am-6pm/Sun closed
payment methods:cash, interac, Visa, Mastercard
directions:metro Berri, exit De Maisonneuve, go east for about about two blocks, then south onto Amherst, in the gay village area.

Headquarters boutique is sort of like a mini craft market. When I asked one of the owners, Tyson, to describe the shop, he said “it’s a hub for independent designers, crafters, musicians, artists, writers and publishers…and it’s also a place for people to network with artists/like minded people from within and out of the city.” He couldn’t be more right.

They carry books, cds, zines, jewellery, clothing, vintage, and home accessories. On top of all that, there is a gallery downstairs to which there is an art vernissage every month (usually the first Saturday). This store has a HUGE variety of carefully-hand made items - so much so that you don’t see everything the first time around the store. I had to do a double take more than once.

The thing that struck me the most was the accessories.The store is fully decorated in the jewellery it sells. Hidden in nooks, bowls, and shelves are gold necklaces with plastic charms, buttons covered in vintage fabrics, big bulky chains made of yarn, one of a kind compacts, and colourful brooches. There are also a variety of vintage shoes, some hand painted with characters, as well as many bags, some vintage, some handmade.

That being said, the store sell equal amounts of mens and womens clothing. Some of the bigger selling brands are NEA, Charcoal Designs, and By The Beard Of Zeus.
There is a huge selection of screen-printed shirts in the guys section, bottoms and tops alike in the girls department, but also really cute dresses. Everything I looked at was made really well, and I found myself mentally creating new outfits for the spring.

I asked where most of the stuff was from/made and to my surprise most of it was from outside Montreal. This is what makes HQ different from other independent designer stores in this city. Instead of the best of handmade from here, you get it from all the cities that Angie and Tyson source out. Of course, there are many Montreal designers, but there are also designs from Portland, NYC, the UK, and even Australia.

I feel like its the kind of place that makes you want to buy a present for your most special friend, because everything is so lovely and reminds you of her… or maybe just something for yourself.

profile by Kristen M.
photography by Heather Utah