Vancouver
Sarah Bancroft 19.11.04
Vancouver is known for its laid-back lifestyle and sporty fashions, but it's also becoming a destination for luxury shopping. WGSN reports.
Being a port city, cruise ships bring wealthy Americans (and increasingly, South Americans) on shopping trips, and personal shoppers fly in from Asia to pick up designer handbags not
available at home.
For fashion, Vancouver takes its cues from Japan and Los Angeles, more than Italy or France. Downtown is teaming with colourfully dressed language students wearing The North Face and vintage, rather than tailored suits.
Vancouver's reputation as Canada's top restaurant city is due in part to the long growing season, an abundance of fresh seafood and an emerging Pacific Northern cuisine that mixes Asian, French and a little something else.
The city's most important industry is tourism, a trend set to accelerate when the 2010 Olympic Games is hosted by Vancouver and Whistler ski resort. Not only that, Vancouver, along with Sydney, Australia, is consistently named the top city to live in the world for quality of life by the United Nations.
Where to shop
Gastown
At the top of any shopping list should be the new and impressive store, Richard Kidd. Housed in a glassed-in, two-level emporium between two heritage buildings in Gastown, its amazing mountain views over the Port of Vancouver are second only to the unique, international items on offer, some made exclusively for the store. Choose from Libertine (rebuilt men's jackets); Surr (skull belts and customised house keys); Rogan's jeans and T-shirts; Comme des Garçons' perfume and incense; Lucien Pellat-Finet's cashmere sweaters embellished with marijuana leaves; and the house line Wings & Horns, based on colours found in the British Columbia environment.
Also in Gastown, see Pigeon for menswear and The Block and Dream Designs for local designers, all on Blood Alley – a former row of butchers' shops.
Japanese vintage store Kawabata-Ya is the fashion stylists' best-kept secret. The store's owners have "first picking" rights to a nearby clothing recycling plant. Also find designer and reworked-vintage items at Kawabata-Ya's airy sister store MoBo-MoGa (Japanese-English slang for Modern Boy Modern Girl) also in Gastown.
Downtown
Moving into downtown Vancouver, the lofty Bruce on Alberni Street offers, for men: Martin Margiela, Cloak, National Anthem, Morphine Generation; and for women: United Bamboo, Development, Notify, Daryl K as well as eyewear, shoes and gift departments over two levels.
Betsey Johnson's first Canadian store is across the street. Up a block on Vancouver's main shopping strip, Robson Street, El Kartel sells Mexican wrestling masks and edgy Latino streetwear (fuelling North America's cholo-chic trend. Click here to access WGSN's Cholo culture report).
Don't miss department store Holt Renfrew on Granville Street for its fabulous cosmetics floor and new accessories department, plus numerous designer kiosks including Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Prada and Links of London. The Louis Vuitton store in Hotel Vancouver and Luxe International are also good for designer shoes and handbags.
Over on Robson Street, The Vancouver Art Gallery Gift Shop, Jeweliette and Blue Ruby sell great jewellery, such as the new men's line from local Elsa Smith and women's line from Anna DeCourcy.
Local Stéphane de Raucourt Robson Street designs shoes and boots here, but has them made in Italy for his two ateliers. Gap's design team was caught rummaging through the vintage denim in the well-organised True Value Vintage. This large store has a huge cache of vintage sunglasses and is divided into sections including leather, sports clothes and their reworked vintage line Beyond Retro. It also has outlets in New York and Japan called Zachary's Smile.
Dayton Boots were originally made as boots for loggers, but caught on in the film industry - Johnny Depp wears his every day. Visit the original factory and store in the gritty downtown East side, on East Hastings Street Vancouverite John Fluevog's 14-eyelet boots came in crazy colours during the 1980s punk movement, and, naturally, he's having a comeback.
Vancouver's Lululemon Athletica> on West Fourth Avenue is conquering the world, one pair of yoga pants at a time (beginning with Canada, US and Asia), and largely private-label junior chain Aritzia back on Robson Street is spreading across the country as fast as real estate becomes available.
South Granville
Vancouver's most famous jewellery-turned-home designer Martha Sturdy (currently in a large-scale collaboration with Donna Karan in New York) is based in the tony art/design district of South Granville. Shop for her massive resin pieces, acid-on-metal wall sculptures and brass tables that sell around the world at her two-level gallery Martha Sturdy Originals on Granville Street.
Further down, don't miss Misch for the hottest designers out of LA and New York, and Bacci's and Bacci's at Home for European ready-to-wear and ceramics. Visit Meinhardt Fine Foods for flowers and gourmet groceries and outcrop Picnic for deli items.
Venturing further, Caban is the second venture from the Canadian founders of Ralph Lauren-owned unisex clothier Club Monaco - great for kitchen items, furniture, CDs and casual clothes. Paperhaus is the spot for design junkies who like nothing better than honing their gorgeous leather portfolios.
South Main
Vancouver's hottest new shopping district for emerging designers, South Main - alternatively called "UpTown" or "SoMa" - has as its epicentre the intersection of 21st Avenue and Main Street. Fashion and homewares - both new and vintage - are available within a block's radius. Local fashion designers who have garnered attention across the country and in LA include Mandula Moda (deconstructed ready-to-wear), Jason Matlo (tailored ready-to-wear) and Dirty Laundry (appliquéd T-shirts).
The next generation to watch for includes Dust by Heather Young (ready-to-wear), Dace (simple dresses and separates), Sunja Link (dresses), Isabelle Dunlop (dresses and knits), Dead Good (silk tops) and Saskia as Flora (felted shawls). Most are available on this strip (or in Gastown).
Among the little independent shops in this area are beauty apothecary Powder Keg, Narcissist Design Co, and the tiny, wacky Smoking Lily. Vintage store Front & Company, which keeps expanding down the block, currently occupies three storefronts: one for men's and women's sportswear; one for dresses and designer items; and one for new and vintage housewares. One of the owners, an artist, does amazing window installations.
My Orange Bag on Main Street sells vintage fashion magazines and other nostalgic items - many in their original packaging - as well as dead stock clothing from the 1960s and 1970s. Down the road, Simple is a tiny storefront with a studio behind it where the owner makes gorgeous silk pillows to complement the mainly white housewares. Over on East Broadway, Dadabase "technology boutique" makes its Government clothing line from real Canadian army fatigues.
The owner of The Barefoot Contessa is an actress, and for her, all the store is a stage and is filled with pretty and glittery dresses, necklaces, purses and note books. The area's anchor store is Eugene Choo, a brother/sister effort that offers an excellent representation of established Vancouver and Canadian designers for women and men.
Yaletown
Yaletown is Vancouver's fashion district, though like most fashion districts, don't expect much to be open before noon. It's busiest at night when the loading docks become patios for the many bars and restaurants.
Stores to see include Beauty Mark for cult beauty supplies, Atomic Model for of-the-moment tops and jeans from upper-end LA and various New York labels, and Posh for reworked vintage jewellery and cult handbags.
Intra-Venus is a stylish little shoe store for people who work on their feet; Basement has a good representation from local designers, and Brooklyn is great for men's denim. Co-owned by a noted fashion journalist from London and a talented young fashion designer from Vancouver, Lola Home & Apparel offers a formula for international chic.
Where to eat
Fine Dining
Lumière, on West Broadway, is the first freestanding restaurant in Canada to earn the prestigious Relais Gourmand distinction, as guests such as Robert Redford and Brad Pitt can attest. The adjoining Lumière Bar has a very smart room with great service and fantastic drinks. With 12 menu items at $12 each, it's perhaps the best deal in town. Or pop next door to the loud and casual Feenie's for calamari sandwiches, as seen on owner Rob Feenie's national cooking show.
The self-proclaimed inventor of the California Roll, the chef/proprietor of Tojo's is called Nobu of the North (by Martha Stewart for one).
Chef David Hawksworth returned to open West having spent a decade earning his chops in London at such spots as Marco Pierre White's Canteen. West is always in contention as the city's best restaurant and is a great place to sample ingredients from the local larder. Vij's has been called "the best restaurant in the western hemisphere" by designer Bruce Mau, and Jamie Oliver singled out the modern Indian fare as the best meal of his North American tour. A strictly enforced no reservations policy also makes for a hopping bar.
Try Vij's latest venture, Rangoli, next door, for lunch or early drinks. Tina Turner rented the beautiful, modern waterfront seafood restaurant C for her birthday party and chef Rob Clark is a staunch conservationist. Bring your appetite, but don't forget your wallet.
Casual
Opened by a young Columbian architect, the light and breezy Baru Latino on Alma Street offers tasty, South American dishes and cocktails. It's fitting that Main Street's Monsoon was the brainchild of a former nightclub owner. A casual, warm room creates a tropical vibe through Vancouver's rainiest of nights.
Opened as a side project by two brothers-in-law, Yew Street brunch spot Tangerine worked out so well that they formed a company that now designs other restaurants, such as Yaletown's Afterglow, an aphrodisiac-themed expansion to J.Lo's restaurant hangout, Glowbal.
Japanese, Chinese and late night eating
Izakayas (Japanese bars) offer a more convivial alternative to the sushi counter. The best is Robson Street's Happa Izakaya followed by the Guu chain. For sushi, start at Hamilton Street's Blue Water Café for "Caterpillar Rolls".
Renowned foodie (and American Vogue food editor) Jeffrey Steingarten believes Vancouver has some of the best Chinese restaurants in the world. Waiters at the Imperial balance trays of sticky rice and fresh watermelon juice in this lofty room in the historic Burrard Street Marine Building with a fabulous ocean view.
What Kirin lacks in drama it more than makes up for with fresh ingredients. Highly acclaimed local architect Bing Thom designed the building that houses the massive Sun Sui Wah, famous for seafood dinners and dim sum. Don't Show the Elephant Gallery Café is a modern Asian tearoom in Yaletown where teas are filtered through a glass pipe on the wall, and the bathroom door appears to be see-through (it isn't).
Where to stay
Vancouver was late to cotton on to the boutique hotel concept and hotel conversions are rare, so despite being a tourist centre, it only has a handful of great hotels.
For upscale accommodation, check into Yaletown's boutique Opus Hotel for the full package of great shopping, dining and a hopping bar scene at your doorstep. This hotel is
where celebrities and fashion magazines on location often stay. The Wedgewood Hotel is across from the beautiful Law Courts and Robson Square and is so popular, it's often booked up. The Sheraton Wall Centre is Vancouver's tallest building (until the Shangri-La Hotel is completed). As well as being a hotel, it houses pied-à-terre apartments owned by celebrities and has good concierge, fitness, spa and town car services.
The Pacific Palisades is on the quieter end of Robson Street and is known for its art and hidden basketball hoop installed for Moby. The Fairmont Waterfront hotel is large and business-oriented, but saves itself from being too impersonal with its rooftop herb gardens and resident Labrador.
For an inexpensive hotel room with a view, The Sylvia Hotel on English Bay is a Vancouver classic. There's a whole lot of history in this vine covered, little brick hotel. Also in Vancouver's West End, is the zero-frills Buchan Hotel which houses the happening,upscale Parkside restaurant with a beautiful inner courtyard.
Inspirational Places
Vancouver was built up in the 1960s, so it is a great showcase for Modernist architecture. A prime example is architect Arthur Erickson¹s stunning Museum of Anthropology at the waterfront University of British Columbia. While there, also try to catch a classical concert at Bing Thom's beautiful Chan Centre.
For more trees than you'll see in a city park almost anywhere, visit Stanley Park and stroll the 10km seawall.
In Chinatown, catch the summertime night market, and you'll see why Vancouver is the city that inspired Blade Runner. In the daytime, the classical Chinese Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens are a must. Although the Granville Island Public Market is one of the city's top tourist attractions, it's a mystery why so many people want to videotape cantaloupes. However, there are some decent picnic spots if you wander, as well as Canada's acclaimed Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.
For more drama, hop on a seaplane in Vancouver's harbour (Harbour Air or West Coast Air) for an inexpensive, 30-minute flight to the provincial capital of Victoria on Vancouver Island. You'll see the whole area (and possibly whales) from the air.
Vancouver addresses
Aritzia
1110 Robson Street (and 6 other locations)
http://www.aritzia.com/
Atomic Model
1036 Mainland Street
http://www.atomicmodel.ca/
Bacci's and Bacci's at Home
2788 Granville Street
The Barefoot Contessa
3715 Main Street
http://www.thebarefootcontessa.com/
Basement
1217 Pacific Blvd
Beauty Mark
1030 - 1120 Hamilton Street
http://www.beautymark.ca/
Betsey Johnson
1033 Alberni Street
http://www.bestseyjohnson.com/
The Block
350 W. Cordova Street
http://www.theblock.ca/
Blue Ruby
1089 Robson Street (and 5 other locations)
http://www.blueruby.com/
Brooklyn
418 Davie Street
http://www.brooklynclothing.com/
Bruce
1038 Alberni Street
Caban
2912 Granville Street
http://www.caban.com/
Club Monaco
1034 Robson Street
Dadabase
183 E. Broadway
http://www.dadabase.ca/
Dayton Boots
2250 E. Hastings Street
http://www.daytonboots.com/
Dream Designs
311 Cordova Street
Eugene Choo
3683 Main Street
http://www.eugenechoo.com/
Front & Company
3772 Main Street
Holt Renfrew
633 Pacific Centre, Granville Street
http://www.holtrenfrew.com/
Intra-Venus
1072 Mainland Street
http://www.intra-venus.com/
Jeweliette
692 Seymour Street
John Fluevog
873 Granville Street
http://www.fluevog.com/
Kawabata-Ya
437 W. Hastings Street
Lola Home & Apparel
1076 Hamilton Street
Louis Vuitton
730 Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Burrard Street
Lululemon Athletica
2113 W. Fourth Ave.
Robson Street No:1148
http://www.lululemon.com/
Luxe International
1011 Alberni Street
Martha Sturdy Originals
3039 Granville Street
http://www.marthasturdy.com/
Meinhardt Fine Foods and Picnic
3002 Granville Street
Misch
2960 Granville Street
MoBo-MoGa
205-332 Water Street
My Orange Bag
4332 Main Street
http://www.myorangebag.com/
Narcissist Design Co.
3659 Main Street
http://www.narcissistreetcom/
Paperhaus
3057 Granville Street
http://www.paperhaus.com/
Pigeon
227 Carrall Street
Posh
1059 Mainland Street
Powder Keg
3628 Main Street
http://www.powerkeg.ca/
Puff Pipes Outta Sight Smoke Shop
712 Robson Street (upstairs)
Main Street No:3255
http://www.puffpipes.ca/
Smoking Lily
3634 Main Street
http://www.smokinglily.com/
Stéphane de Raucourt
1067 Robson Street and Oakridge Centre
http://www.stephanederaucourt.com/
Richard Kidd
65 Water Street
http://www.richardkidd.net/
Simple
3638 Main Street
True Value Vintage
710 Robson Street
Vancouver Art Gallery Gift Shop
750 Hornby Street
http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/
Where to eat
Aki
745 Thurlow Street
Tel: +1 (604) 682 4032
Baru Latino
2353 Alma Street
Tel: +1 (604) 222-9171
Blue Water Café and Raw Bar
1095 Hamilton Street
Tel: +1 (604) 688 8078
C
1600 Howe Street
Tel: +1 (604) 681-1164
Don't Show the Elephant Gallery Café
1201 Hamilton Street
Tel: +1 (604) 331 1018
Glowball
1079 Mainland Street
Tel: +1 (604) 602 0835
Afterglow
1082 Hamilton Street
Tel: +1 (604) 602 0845
Guu and Guu with Garlic
838 Thurlow Street
Tel: +1 (604) 685 8817
1698 Robson Street
Tel: +1 (604) 685 8678
Happa Izakaya
1479 Robson Street
Tel: +1 (604) 689 4272
Honjin
138 Davie Street
Tel: +1 (604) 688 8808
Imperial
325 Burrard Street
Tel: +1 (604) 688 8191
Kirin
201-555 W. 12th
Tel: +1 (604) 879 8038
200- 7900 Westminster Hwy. Richmond
Tel: +1 (604) 303 8833
Lumière, Lumière Bar and Feenie's
2551 W. Broadway
Tel: +1 (604) 739 8185
2563 W. Broadway
Tel: +1 (604) 739 7115
Monsoon
2526 Main Street
Tel: +1 (604) 879 4001
Shijo's
1926 W. 4th Ave.
Tel: +1 (604) 732 4676
Sun Sui Wah
3888 Main Street
Tel: +1 (604) 872 8822
4940 # 3 Rd. Richmond
Tel: +1 (604) 273 8208
Tangerine
1685 Yew Street
Tel: +1 (604) 739 4677
Tojo's
202-777 W. Broadway
Tel: +1 (604) 872 8050
Vij's and Rangoli
1480 W. 11th Ave.
Tel: +1 (604) 736 6664
West
2281 Granville Street
Tel: +1 (604) 738 8938
Wild Rice
117 W. Pender Street
Tel: +1 (604) 642 2882
Where to stay
Buchan Hotel
1906 Haro Street
Tel: +1 (604) 685 5354
http://www.buchanhotel.com/
Fairmont Waterfront
900 Canada Place Way
Tel: +1 (604) 691 1991
www.fairmont.com/waterfront/
Opus Hotel
322 Davie Street
Tel: +1 (604) 691 1991
http://www.opushotel.com/
Pacific Palisades
1277 Robson Street
Tel: +1 (604) 688 0461
http://www.pacificpalisadeshotel.com/
Sheraton Wall Centre
1088 Burrard Street
Tel: +1 (604) 331 1000
http://www.wallcentre.com/
Sylvia Hotel
1154 Gilford Street
Tel: +1 (604) 681 9321
http://www.sylviahotel.com/
Wedgewod Hotel
845 Hornby Street
Tel: +1 (604) 689 777
http://www.wedgewoodhotel.com/
Inspirational places
Chan Centre
6265 Crescent Rd
http://www.chancentre.com/
Chinatown
http://www.vancouverchinatown.ca/
Cypress Mountain
Tel: +1 (604) 926 5612
http://www.cypressmountain.com/
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design
1399 Granville Island, Johnston Street
Tel: +1 (604) 844 3800
http://www.eciad.bc.ca/
Granville Island Public Market
Tel: +1 (604) 666 5784
http://www.granvilleisland.bc.ca/
Grouse Mountain
6400 Nancy Greene Way
Tel: +1 (604) 984 0661
http://www.grousemountain.com/
Harbour Air
Coal Harbour Rd
Tel : +1 (604 274 1277
http://www.harbour-air.com/
Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal
http://www.bcferries.com/
Mount Seymour
Tel: +1 (604) 986 2261
http://www.mountseymour.com/
Museum of Anthropology
6393 N.W. Marine Drive
Tel: +1 (604) 822 5087
http://www.moa.ubc.ca/
Rain City Grill
1193 Denman Street
Tel: +1 (604) 685 7337
http://www.raincitygrill.com/
Sand Bar
9030 Johnston Street
Tel: +1 (604) 669 9030
http://www.mysandbar.com/
Sequoia Grill
Ferguson Point, Stanley Park
Tel: +1 (604) 669 3281
http://www.sequoiarestaurants.com/
Stanley Park
http://www.seestanleypark.com/
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens
578 Carrall Street
Tel: +1 (604) 662 3207
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/
University of British Columbia
2329 West Mall
Tel: +1 (604) 822 2211
http://www.ubc.ca/
West Coast Air
1061 Coal Harbour Rd
Tel: +1 (604) 606 6888
http://www.westcoastair.com/
Vancouver City Guide
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mirkaa
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не става... достъпа е само с парола...ilian79 написа:дай линк към страницата,където е статията
аз я имам saved при мен (file that is..)
Последно промяна от mirkaa на Пет Апр 01, 2005 3:33 pm, променено общо 1 път.
