If Sauvage looks familiar, that’s because it is. When Jaya Kahlon was ready to open shop, there was one thing missing: a space to open it in. Deciding to do away with her original plan, Kahlon popped up in Queen West’s Burroughes Building, which helped get her name out there and swiftly wooed the fashion crowd with her distinct, hard-to-find accessories. When a spot down the street became available, she naturally jumped on it.
Now a couple months in, Kahlon says that customers have been eating up her hard-meets-soft aesthetic.
Stocking her boutique with just as many garments as accessories, Kahlon focuses on picks from abroad that are underrepresented in the city. Racks hang with picks from Sweden’s Cheap Monday and Australia’s Finders Keepers and Evil Twin. Standout pieces include a Keepsake crop top emblazoned with an abstract rose print ($119), a Willow and Clay jacket with acid green piping ($135) and a sleeveless blouse from Evil Twin featuring a moonscape-like print ($110).
Accessories remain a strong point. Bag options include leather knapsacks from London’s Jas M.B. (now $329); footwear hails from the likes of Miista and Senso. We loved a pair of paint-splattered, pony hair pumps from Zoe Kratzmann (now $69) and Messeca’s blown-up loafters with a metal toe plate ($129).
Jewellery from A Peace Treaty is noteworthy: designed by a pair of cross-city friends (one’s in Toronto; the other NYC), the delicate pieces are created in various developing countries. This collection was done in India, and includes double rings accented with tiny chains, along with delicate ear cuffs (from $59).
Mahmood Popal designed the shop’s interior, aiming to complement Kahlon’s fashion-forward picks. Textured concrete board walls play off canary yellow racks, while a colour-blocked wall energizes the far end of the room.
Currently Kahlon has marked down much of the gear up to 70 per cent, clearing out space for new spring picks which will arrive weekly. We’ll be watching.
Sauvage, 644 Queen St. W., 647-770-0443