The ongoing trade war has had a silver lining for Bridget Remai and Christina Ballhorn. And it’s that people are flocking to their Ottawa clothing boutique to buy Canadian.
Remai and Ballhorn, the owners of Flock Boutique on Wellington Street West, said they’ve seen an increase in sales since buying Canadian-made products has come into vogue amid a back-and-forth trade spat with the U.S.
“It’s been really nice. We’re very grateful for all the new customers that are actively looking to buy Canadian-made (garments),” Remai told OBJ on Wednesday.
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Remai describes the boutique’s clothing as “fashionable but comfortable,” consisting of “loads of pretty dresses for summer weddings and picnics.” She said the boutique has anything anyone would need to populate their closets with 100 per cent Canadian-made fashion.
As tariffs and counter-tariffs continue to loom over the Canadian economy, Remai said she doesn’t expect her business to be too affected because of the products it sells.
“I think everyone will be affected. We may be affected less than some others, because everything in our store is not only designed in Canada, but it’s also made here,” she said.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Flock started when Remai and Ballhorn met in the ByWard Market selling their own garments.
“We just decided that we wanted to open a store where everything was made in Canada,” Remai said, adding that the shop mainly caters to women in their late 40s.
One of the boutique’s most anticipated events of the year, the trunk sale, is taking place next week, April 10 to 13, at Next Door Ottawa on Gladstone Avenue. Remai said the trunk sale offers shoppers looking for Canadian-made products a chance to get unique items for a fraction of the price.
“We started (the trunk sale) probably 18 years ago because our designers mentioned that they had difficulty discounting and selling extra season stock … They ship us past seasons, or even items they made as samples or items they made in a colourway that they didn’t end up fully producing,” Remai said.
She said the twice-yearly trunk sale “has its own life,” creating an energy that regular customers anticipate for months.
“We have a group changeroom so customers can help each other. There’s articles of clothing passing back and forth. We have a bunch of teenagers, my daughter and her friends, who are running trying to get sizes for people. There’s a lot of energy. It feels like thrifting,” she said.
Remai said the weekend days of the sale will feature a partnership with a vintage reseller to give more options to shoppers to buy from Canadian merchants.
Remai said customers will contribute to the boutique’s effort to donate to local charities and organizations. Over the years, the store has helped organizations like Cornerstone Housing for Women, Canadian Red Cross, Parkdale Food Centre, DragonFly, Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization and local school charities.
“We like to support a lot of grassroots charities. If somebody comes in looking to raise money for their school or their hockey team, we really try to support them with a gift card from the store. Being a small local business, we love this neighbourhood. We love its residents. (There are) so many people doing great things and we really try to be a part of that,” Remai said.
Part of that feeling of giving back is reflected in what the boutique stands for, Remai said, especially when it comes to shopping sustainably.
“This is essentially our life’s work. I don’t think it’s any secret that we hate fast fashion. It’s terrible for the environment. It’s terrible for the economy. It’s terrible for the people who produce those garments and work in those factories. Nobody’s winning,” Remai said.
There is a ripple effect to shopping sustainably, especially with Canadian-made products, Remai added.
“When you buy something that’s made in Canada, there’s a ripple effect. (The designer) has sourced fabric from Canada. She pays people to work for her in Canada. The ripple effect on the economy is incredible. When you buy from Shein, not one cent of your money stays in your local economy. There’s a massive difference if we want to stimulate our economy and support our local makers and local businesses and their employees,” Remai told OBJ.
Though Ottawa may not be known for its fashion scene, Remai said the city has its own fashion ecosystem where customers show off their unique style.
“In spite of the reputation we might have, we really like to wear colour and pattern and be comfortable. Everything goes with sneakers or Blundstones. I think Ottawa is a great place to shop for fashion,” she said.
