Store Guide: Victoire, a cute new Ossington boutique where almost everything is made in Canada
Name: Victoire
Sells: Canadian designers plus a few international brands
Contact info: 129 Ossington Ave., 416-588-6978, victoireboutique.com
Hours: M-W 12-7; Th-Fr 12-8; Su 12-5
See it on a map »
Victoire sells the kind of cute-but-edgy clothes and accessories that should make it a hit with its new Ossington clientele. The store already has two boutiques in Ottawa, where it’s known as the go-to shop for cute dresses. Owners Regine Paquette and Katie Frappier decided to expand to Toronto when one of their own staff, Kristina Smith, was ready to relocate and run the new operation.
Regine and Katie envision their clientele as “rebel girls with good manners.” Clothes-wise, that translates into a mix of preppy, work-appropriate frocks from brands like Birds of North America, and edgier pieces, like a cool two-toned purse from Toronto label Eleven Thirty ($175). The store carries a small selection of affordable international apparel, like floral dresses from UK label Darling, but its focus is on locally made gear, both from established designers like Dagg & Stacey , and new local talent. Our favourite item: a hand-painted doughnut t-shirt ($50) from emerging designer Charzii, who the owners recently discovered on Instagram.
263320 The shop's exterior was designed to feel welcoming. “We don't like that feeling of exclusivity that a lot of boutiques have,” says Katie (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-14.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-14/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-14 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263314 The staff make a point of not being pushy. “We want people to feel comfortable exploring their own style here,” says Regine (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-08/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-08 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263308 A hanging wooden crate full of semi-precious stone earrings. $40 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-02.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-02/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-02 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263315 The shop sells a mix of work-appropriate dresses and skirts, plus edgier pieces and accessories (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-09/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-09 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263316 A floral frock from UK-based brand <strong>Darling,</strong> one of the shop's few international designers. $79 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-10/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-10 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263311 Vancouver-based label <strong>Hanna Dorothy's</strong> silk shirts sell for $115 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-05/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-05 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263313 Hand-painted doughnut shirts from new designer <strong>Charzii.</strong> $50 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-07/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-07 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263312 A tote from Toronto-based brand <strong>Eleven Thirty.</strong> $175 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-06/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-06 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263310 Bowties by <strong>April Look</strong> go for $38 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-04/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-04 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263319 A rack of the signature dresses from Ottawa-based brand <strong>Birds of North America</strong> (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-13.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-13/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-13 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263309 The shop stocks copies of <em>Worn Fashion Journal,</em> Toronto's biannual indie fashion magazine (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-03/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-03 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263307 These tiny jewellery bowls are painted with constellations. $20 (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-01/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-01 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
263318 Decorative taxidermy adds a touch of rural Canadiana (Image: Michelle Nunes) Store Guide: Victoire, the locally-minded Ottawa boutique arrives on Ossington Store Guide: Victoire, an adorable Ottawa boutique with a Canadian focus, comes to Ossington https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/victoire-toronto-store-guide-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/toronto-store-guide-victoire-ossington/slide/victoire-toronto-store-guide-12/ victoire-toronto-store-guide-12 0 0
(Image: Michelle Nunes)
More pics of the clothes, please!