STITCHING DREAMS AT FORSYA

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Forsya

Take a walk down Main Street in Vancouver and you will be seduced by at least one of the many independent boutiques in this eclectic shopping district. Recently, I had a chance to speak with Julie Hebb, owner of Forsya Boutique, who also launched a small line of women’s attire in Spring 2010.

The name Forsya is based on Hebb’s granny’s maiden name, who was strongly influential in her career path as she was the first to teach Hebb to sew at the young age of eight. Hebb continued to sew during high school, fascinated with the revamp of older clothing and fabrics and giving them new life by transforming them into fun items that were current and boundary pushing. She then moved on to apprentice with Margo Biggs, who ealier had a store Retreads in Toronto, which was a unique initiative at the time combining recycled clothing with her own alteration skills, before restyling became popular. Hebb studied under Biggs in Victoia BC where Biggs runs her own alteration, custom sewing and design business.

Julie’s dream became reality when she opened Forsya boutique in 2009, a creative space for clothing and jewelry designers and local artists to showcase their work. Forsya is one of the few Vancouver boutiques that carries only Canadian designers whose products are manufactured within Canada.

Once you enter Forsya, you can’t help but feel at ease when you are offered a seat on comfy recovered chairs along with a cup of tea. The store is reminiscent of a girlfriend’s house. The vibe is social and casual and there are plenty of Hebb’s friends around to chat with as you wait for an alteration.

Hebb sews most of the clothing herself in her studio, which is located towards the back of her boutique. She is willing to work with her clients, performing some creative alterations and she also rents out the studio to other local designers.

The Forsya Fall/10 line is a small line consisting of 7 very versatile items. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak demonstration of a top and skirt that can be worn several different ways with some creative styling! Hebb describes the line as “wearable, easy, breezy flirty tops, skirts and dresses.”

Come out this Thursday Sept 14th to Forsya’s customer appreciation night. “I wanted to hold this event to celebrate all the support I’ve received from my clients over the years,” says Julie. This night will celebrate the launch of the Forsya Fall/10 line plus showcase Canadian independent designers such as Allison Wonderland, Eve Gravel, Dotted Loop, Carny Love and Toodlebunny.

Enjoy an evening of wine, appys, and a 20% discount on all Canadian designs!

Location: Forsya Boutique and Gallery at 2206 Main St. Vancouver on Thursday, October 14th at 7:30pm.

For future shopping on Main Street, keep you eyes open for the new Main Street shopping guide .