Montreal based designer, Stacey Zhang has opened a boutique in Toronto. She’s chosen a strip of Queen Street West that was independent boutique friendly until the corporations moved in many years ago. It’s a brave move to  complete for foot traffic with Zara, H&M and the Gap.

Stacey Zhang aims to provide stylish women with affordable,ready-to-wear collections that are ethically produced and limited in quantity, maximizing the time and care spent in creating each garment. Known for highly detailed and structurally unique clothing, Stacey Zhang features styles ranging from fun, flirty dresses to sharp business attire to feminine, chic casual wear. With organic cottons, relaxed linens, luxurious silks, wool and sustainable bamboo as staples of past collections, the designer is also known for her impeccable selection of fabric. She is continually researching practical ways to replace fabrics with more ecologically sound and sustainable threads. Both Montreal and Toronto boutiques feature a wide variety of unique accessories handpicked by Stacey on her travels throughout Europe and Asia.

Stacey plans to make the shopping experience at the Toronto location much like Montreal. The shop host regular cocktails and shopping events where clients can meet Stacey. The first of those events was the boutique launch party. The boutique features a minimal design and a glowing “stretch” ceiling feature that adds warm pink light to the space. The boutique design was a collaboration between Stacey and CS Design, a Montreal based architectural lighting firm. The boutique had great floor to ceiling mirrors in the back where the roomy change rooms are.

I gravitated to some of Stacey’s spring summer 2011 outerwear and I’ve included shots of my favourite pieces.

Stacey Zhang Boutique
292 Queen Street West
Toronto