We kind of saw this coming last spring when MAKENEW (1526 Queen Street) introduced a men's line and spilled over into a second room, Anna Gilkerson—local designer and curator of the boutique-style thrift shop—needed some room to grow. It turns out she needed more than just an extra room, which is why she's expanding the shop and re-opening in a street level space at 2468 Agricola Street.
"I like started looking for a space in November because I was feeling cramped up here. I live in the north end. I'm walking up and down that street every day," says Gilkerson of the choice to leave Queen Street. "It just kind of makes sense."
The new MAKENEW will be an open concept shop that'll continue to focus on quality, fashionable second-hand clothing and eye-catching displays...but it'll be bigger. At 800 square feet, it gives Gilkerson a chance to expand on her newer menswear section and leaves the opportunity for kids' fashions and more work from local designers in the future.
The Agricola Street store will feature all new collections she's hunted down for the spring, as well as new handmade accessory lines. "I want to keep the local presence but I've really branched out because I want to bring in some stuff not native to Halifax, can't find anywhere else," says Gilkerson, who's scooped up pieces from HJN from Vancouver, ANDROGYNY from LA and Ontario's HEN.
"I love collaborating. I'm working with a few different designers in the city on some interesting small run stuff," she says. "I love the idea of working with other artists, giving them a place to promote and present their stuff."
MAKENEW's new shop opens for business on February 4.
