Lola & Odin's Aussie vibes

When Savannah Shippien graduated high school, she wasn’t quite ready to dive into more studies. An adventurer at heart, she hit the road instead, and wound up spending two years living in Australia working as a nanny and later, managing a clothing boutique. After returning to Halifax, studying neuroscience and starting a family, she thought med school was in the cards. “But the deeper I got into school the harder it was to see my kids,” says Shippien, whose husband works in Alberta.

With her blissful days down under in the back of her mind, she decided to open Lola & Odin, a women’s clothing store that allowed her to pursue her passion for fashion, and spend time with her kiddies (you guessed it, Lola and Odin). Open since August at 5881 Almon Street (the former home of Abode), the shop stocks all of Shippien’s favourite Australian (and vegan) designs, bringing a “laid back, bohemian vibe” to the racks. “I didn’t want to leave Australia, a part of my heart will always be there. It was such an experience that changed me, I grew up a lot from it. And my style evolved from that after living there,” she says of Lola & Odin’s inspiration. “Opening a boutique didn’t seem like a thing people did—it seemed like a dream job.” In celebration of launching her website this Friday, Shippien will be offering shoppers 20 percent off.