Caily Huntly and Stacy Lepage planted a seed three years ago, and boy has it bloomed.
Their business venture Toxic Blossom began as a market stall, a crafters' booth and a way to get their hands sweet clothing and accessories that they couldn't find locally. Then, they put their heads together with some friends and started Plan B Merchants Co-op (2180 Gottingen Street), a home for their line and many other artisans and collectors. But their real dream was for Toxic Blossom to have a boutique of its own. So when the opportunity presented itself, right on the waterfront, they jumped onboard. And now there's a baby pink shop at Historic Properties (1869 Upper Water Street) with their name on it.
"It's really exciting to see the Historic Properties growing into more than a tourist destination," says Lepage of the new 'hood for Toxic Blossom. "It's becoming more of a place for everyone in Halifax to come shopping and enjoy the harbur. It's a great fit for us because we love being surrounded by lots of other unique shops."
Lepage says the new shop offers space for a small studio, so all of the sewing that goes into Toxic Blossom's sweet accessories is now done in-store. Plus, extra space means more great stuff...from local designers and beyond.
"We're doing a lot more importing now. We aren't able to fill the whole shop with handmade stuff alone so we're bringing in a lot of cool items from Japan and Korea," she says. "Things that fit into the style we already have here and that you can't really get elsewhere in the city."