I love shopping any day of the week, but particularly when I'm on vacation. Not only do you get a feel for the local culture and style, but the pieces you purchase become special memories from the trip. When I wear a favorite scarf from Amsterdam, a dress bought in New York, or a necklace from Prague, I am reminded of the amazing adventures I had in each place. And the shopping itself is also an adventure.
Last week, I had the pleasure of shopping the boutiques along Water Street, a hotspot for local trendsetters who live in Vancouver, BC. Located in the famous Gastown area, Water Street's old brick sidewalks and eclectic stone buildings make you feel like you're wandering down an ancient street in Europe. The gas lamp lined streets are dotted with a mixture of local shops, like Neighbour, and high end chain stores such as Cos. The avenues of boutiques are also speckled with cozy cafes, edgy gastropubs, and quaint restaurants.
As an athleisure enthusiast, I am not even the slightest bit embarassed to admit that the main driver of my shopping excursion was the Lululemon Lab. In case you're not already in the know, The Lab is Lululemon's concept store. Part factory, part showroom, and part boutique, The Lab offers patrons the chance to see the newest Lulu designs actually being made IRL. And, you can even purchase highly coveted items from their capsule collection. The clothes at The Lab are more lifestyle focused than athletic focused. Case in point: I nabbed a metallic raincoat, a lightweight bomber, and a mesh tank. All three are items that can be worn to and from the gym, but I will also mix these pieces with everyday wear. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, but truth be told, I'd rather have a new pair of Lulu leggings than a bag of sour gummy worms. And I LOVE me some sour gummy worms. Seeing the fabrics pre-design made the clothes come to life; it felt like I was getting a sneak peek at what's to come in Lulu stores later this year. The Lulu Lab was truly an experience, and one not to be missed if you happen to find yourself in Vancouver.
Here's the skinny on Vancouver BC's Water Street Shopping.
Lulu Lab
The concept store for Lululemon is THE Water Street shopping experience. I loved previewing the fabrics and designs that might pop into retail stores later this year. The chic metallic raincoat pictured below is one of my favorite finds!
Neighbour/Woman
Neighbour is a sleek, modern space with wearable couture clothing. The items are off the rack, but each piece feels like it was custom made. The fabrics and materials are extremely high quality. The designs are simple and chic. The store space is like walking into a feature ad in Vogue.
Native Shoes
I have somehow never heard of Native Shoes until I happened across their brightly colored store in Vancouver. The rainbow hued sneakers drew me in from the rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon. Native Shoes are the more fashionable cousin of a Croc--the hybrid of a sneaker and a sandal all wrapped up in an all weather shoe. They would be the perfect "boat shoes" since they have white soles that won't scuff up a boat deck. I also think they would make great kid shoes since they are nearly all a slip-on style. The store reminded me of what Katy Perry's make believe shoe store might look like. The bold colors and bright lighting gave the store a neverland kind of feel. The big draw was the moss wall, which I'm sure is a big draw for selfie lovers and Instagrammers.
Orling & Wu
This homegoods and housewears store felt like one I visited while traveling in Amsterdam. I loved the whimsical meets minimalist designs. The glittery serving spoons by Sabre France caught my eye and wound up in my shopping basket. I can't wait to use these fun pieces when I host our next party!
Poppy and Rye
This store was hard to pin down in terms of style. It felt a bit eclectic, but I fell in love with these fun glittery espadrilles!
Milano Coffee
After all the shopping, we needed to caffeinate. Milano Coffee was just the spot. Serving up authentic artisan Italian coffee and local dietary restriction friendly bites, Milano Coffee is a delightful Vancouver-based cafe. The coffee was strong, but not bitter. The vegan banana bread we sampled was truly decadent with its walnut and chocolate coated crust. Though they were out of the housemade almond milk when we stopped in, the regular stuff made for great lattes and cappuccinos.
Last week, I had the pleasure of shopping the boutiques along Water Street, a hotspot for local trendsetters who live in Vancouver, BC. Located in the famous Gastown area, Water Street's old brick sidewalks and eclectic stone buildings make you feel like you're wandering down an ancient street in Europe. The gas lamp lined streets are dotted with a mixture of local shops, like Neighbour, and high end chain stores such as Cos. The avenues of boutiques are also speckled with cozy cafes, edgy gastropubs, and quaint restaurants.
As an athleisure enthusiast, I am not even the slightest bit embarassed to admit that the main driver of my shopping excursion was the Lululemon Lab. In case you're not already in the know, The Lab is Lululemon's concept store. Part factory, part showroom, and part boutique, The Lab offers patrons the chance to see the newest Lulu designs actually being made IRL. And, you can even purchase highly coveted items from their capsule collection. The clothes at The Lab are more lifestyle focused than athletic focused. Case in point: I nabbed a metallic raincoat, a lightweight bomber, and a mesh tank. All three are items that can be worn to and from the gym, but I will also mix these pieces with everyday wear. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, but truth be told, I'd rather have a new pair of Lulu leggings than a bag of sour gummy worms. And I LOVE me some sour gummy worms. Seeing the fabrics pre-design made the clothes come to life; it felt like I was getting a sneak peek at what's to come in Lulu stores later this year. The Lulu Lab was truly an experience, and one not to be missed if you happen to find yourself in Vancouver.
Here's the skinny on Vancouver BC's Water Street Shopping.
Lulu Lab
The concept store for Lululemon is THE Water Street shopping experience. I loved previewing the fabrics and designs that might pop into retail stores later this year. The chic metallic raincoat pictured below is one of my favorite finds!
Neighbour/Woman
Neighbour is a sleek, modern space with wearable couture clothing. The items are off the rack, but each piece feels like it was custom made. The fabrics and materials are extremely high quality. The designs are simple and chic. The store space is like walking into a feature ad in Vogue.
Native Shoes
I have somehow never heard of Native Shoes until I happened across their brightly colored store in Vancouver. The rainbow hued sneakers drew me in from the rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon. Native Shoes are the more fashionable cousin of a Croc--the hybrid of a sneaker and a sandal all wrapped up in an all weather shoe. They would be the perfect "boat shoes" since they have white soles that won't scuff up a boat deck. I also think they would make great kid shoes since they are nearly all a slip-on style. The store reminded me of what Katy Perry's make believe shoe store might look like. The bold colors and bright lighting gave the store a neverland kind of feel. The big draw was the moss wall, which I'm sure is a big draw for selfie lovers and Instagrammers.
Orling & Wu
This homegoods and housewears store felt like one I visited while traveling in Amsterdam. I loved the whimsical meets minimalist designs. The glittery serving spoons by Sabre France caught my eye and wound up in my shopping basket. I can't wait to use these fun pieces when I host our next party!
Poppy and Rye
This store was hard to pin down in terms of style. It felt a bit eclectic, but I fell in love with these fun glittery espadrilles!
Milano Coffee
After all the shopping, we needed to caffeinate. Milano Coffee was just the spot. Serving up authentic artisan Italian coffee and local dietary restriction friendly bites, Milano Coffee is a delightful Vancouver-based cafe. The coffee was strong, but not bitter. The vegan banana bread we sampled was truly decadent with its walnut and chocolate coated crust. Though they were out of the housemade almond milk when we stopped in, the regular stuff made for great lattes and cappuccinos.
