Fashion revolution: Pop-up offers designer gems at less than luxury prices
Canadian entrepreneur Courtney Watkins started shopping for second-hand designer labels when she attended fashion school in Los Angeles, Calif. The selection was great, she says, and the stores were cool.
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But when she moved back home to Vancouver, she couldn't find anything similar. Sure, there were consignment and second-hand shops, but none elevated the experience into something special, something fancy like she had experienced in California.
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Seeing a gap in the marketplace, she decided to fill it by creating Mine & Yours, a luxury resale shopping experience focused on high-end fashion, with designer brands such as Goyard, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chloe and more.
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That was 13 years ago. These days, Mine & Yours operates a popular online shopping site (mineandyours.com) as well as two stores in Yaletown and Kitsilano in Vancouver, one in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood, plus a pop-up in Toronto's The Well this summer.
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'Our goal has always been to create a luxury shopping experience with second-hand clothing, and I feel with our Holt Renfrew partnership, we have really accomplished that,' says Watkins.
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'Holts (sic) has been on my radar ever since I started my business. Six years ago, I put on my vision board that I wanted to work with Holt, and now, here we are.'
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Originally, the Calgary pop-up was scheduled to end in mid-June, Watkins says. But in less than a month, it had doubled its sales projections, so it was extended to the end of August.
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Watkins chose Calgary for the pop-up because she had noticed many online shoppers to her website from the city.
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'Tons of clients who had already shopped with us online were excited to shop in person,' she says.
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'And we're getting a lot of new clients, people who have heard the buzz and know we are here.'
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Toronto Sun
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Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
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The Province
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Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The number of U.S. cars heading north into B.C. was down by almost seven per cent from February to July, compared to the same time period last year, according to data from Statistics Canada . That is still far less than the 40 per cent decline in B.C. visitors heading to the U.S. during the same period. And while some B.C. tourism destinations have suffered from fewer U.S. travellers, the shift has mostly been offset 'by a notable increase in Canadian visitors,' Clare Mason, a communications director at wrote in an email. 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