Bad news for fashion fans on Queen West: three cherished indie boutiques are closing their doors.Response, Carte Blanche and Chasse Gardée, which are all on the north side of the strip, will be shuttering between now and the end of March. But there’s a silver lining for bargain hunters: they’re all holding closing-down sales. Here’s the skinny.
Response
Opened by Glynis Dupuis in 2003, Response (690 Queen St. W., 416-366-5394) will sell its final statement dress next month.
Final sale: 20 per cent off new arrivals from Line and James Perse, 30 to 70 per cent off all other stock, including lines from Response, Ted Baker and Seychelles.
Owner’s parting words: Dupuis, who plans to continue teaching at Ryerson University’s School of Fashion, says, “I have loved Queen Street West and my wonderful clientele.”
Carte Blanche
Carte Blanche (758 Queen St. W., 416-532-0347) was opened by Tania Martins and Dan Augustino in 2005. If you want to take advantage of its incredible closing sale, you’ll have to hurry — it shutters on Feb. 29.
Final sale: There’s up to 90 per cent off everything in the store. Stock includes men and women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. You can rummage for bargains on labels like Cheap Monday,Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Pleasure Principle, Pink Cobra and Krystof Strozyna.
Reason to be cheerful: Though the store may be closing, Martins will now be concentrating on her Pink Cobra clothing line.
Owners’ parting words: “We wanted to continue with the design aspect, rather than retail. It has been amazing, and a really great experience but it’s time to move on. The whole strip is changing.”
Chasse Gardée
Opened in December 2008 by Daniela Bosco, Chasse Gardée (1084 Queen St. W., 416-901-9613) will close on March 30.
Final sale: There’s between 50 and 80 per cent off everything in the store. Brands include Dieppa Restrepo, Dries Van Noten, Jeffrey Campbell, Label and Swedish Hasbeens. And if you’re in the market for some new shelves, the shop fixtures are also for sale.
Owner’s parting words: Though she’s closing her store, Bosco still thinks retail is a lot of fun. “We have loved being in the area and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the city. Queen Street is the heartbeat to so many different things and being on the street has allowed us to be in contact with such an amazing clientele from so many diverse backgrounds. We always felt very loved.”
(post as seen on postcity.com)