It was after a trip to Bali that Victoria Raine “fell in love with the place and wanted to figure out how to keep going there." The result was Hilltribe Design, known for its women’s clothing designed in Canada and made in Indonesia.
Raine's has been running shops downtown since 1985. From her first store in town, Input Unlimited on Sackville Street, to Hilltribe (1729 Barrington Street)— which has been in its current location 1996—she’s seen every bump, bruise and big change to hit the neighbourhood's retail scene.
“Now I feel like we’re just on the verge of huge change and I couldn’t wait any longer,” says Raine. She’s closing her longstanding clothing store, but not due to lack of customers or the state of Barrington Street...she and her husband/co-owner Robert Selfe are retiring.
“It’s quite enlightening to realize how broad a base we actually have and how much it still continues to grow. Every week there are people who haven't been in before,” says Raine, who sends a thank you to her loyal shoppers. “We're closing a very successful business. It's always good to leave a good thing rather than leave because things are bad.”
