As some of you may or may not know already, I recently gave birth to my newest internet baby, The Chic Canuck: A Tastemaker’s Guide to Canada.

My venture into e-commerce might come as a surprise to some, but to me it seems like a naturally fit and evolution. As explained in FILLER Magazine on our official launch day last week, I have had the fortune of discovering so many great independent Canadian brands during the three years that I’ve run (and will continue to run) GracieCarroll.com. In many cases, I’ve forged great relationships and even close friendships with the people behind many of these brands.

In time it became clear to me that there was a gap in the market for an online space that offered a curated selection of some of the best representatives of modern Canadian culture. A space that would allow for these people, businesses and products from coast-to-coast to be discovered and shopped in one place. From Where To Go, Who To Know, and What To Buy, the aim of The Chic Canuck is to offer readers and shoppers a proudly Canadian experience that sheds light on just how easy it is to support local Canadian business without sacrificing style, quality, or taste.

Aside from what I felt was missing in the market, a part of me has always been intrigued by the world of retail in Canada. My mother has owned an operated a womenswear boutique in downtown Toronto since the eighties, and has been recognized many times over for her commitment to support Canadian designers. In fact, she was one of the first retailers to carry (now renowned Canadian fashion designers) COMRAGS and Joeffer Caoc way back when they were just fresh graduates of the Ryerson School of Fashion.

Ever since I was a little girl, my mother’s recognition for her support of Canadian designers (and often the newest, freshest talent) always gave me a huge sense of pride. I always thought what she did was so cool, and it certainly helped spark my interest in supporting Canadian designers and businesses from an early age.

Launching a brand new site, a new business, and an e-commerce shop might seem a little crazy, but this is a project I’ve been interested in launching for a long time, and I figured — why not at least try?

All I can hope for is that you will follow us on our journey as The Chic Canuck grows and (hopefully) becomes a force in the Canadian retail and publishing industry. As you will see on our About Page, if each of us spent $100 a year more on local business instead of chain stores, it would put an extra $3 million a year into our economy. With more and more big name American retailers moving into the Canadian marketplace, it’s more important than ever to put the power back into our purchasing decisions and to be smarter about how we shop, and where we shop.

Please head to www.TheChicCanuck.com to discover my latest endeavour.

I would love to hear what you think!

xo

@GracieCarroll

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