In a small town like Antigonish it’s normal for people to ask that question. After all what do we have to compare to? Winners? Wal Mart? Beyond the Rack? In a big city it’s easy to find clothing that triples our prices. But here – what distinguishes a store like Aphrodite from the familiar franchise and big box clothing retailers and online shopping sites? That’s a big question and I would like to provide some insight for our readers into the fashion industry.
Most fundamentally, Aphrodite is an independent retailer. As a buyer I spend several weeks every season searching for the most beautiful apparel and accessories I can find. Each buying season (February for Fall/Winter and August for Spring/Summer), I travel to showrooms in Toronto and Montreal that represent the newest collections from independent fashion houses across Canada, USA and the world. Six months later those fashions are delivered to you – our customer – in a beautiful environment with skilled sales staff employed to take care of you.
I stay away from the big American companies like Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne. They have, in my opinion become over commoditized – they are found in every big mall in every city in North America and Europe. Instead, I look for smaller lines with great design, excellent quality and beautiful fabrics that aren’t readily available anywhere else. I love finding that Aha! garment that just comes to life when it’s tried on – like some of the new Sarah Pacini pieces that we have just started carrying. It’s the highest priced line I’ve purchased for the store, but ironically this fall the Sarah Pacini collection has been our best seller. It’s not hard to see why.
Sarah Pacini
That leads me to the underlying philosophy – never underestimate the customer. When she experiences beautiful quality and style she recognizes the value and is willing to pay for it knowing that garment will make her look sensational for many years to come. We are catering to the woman who expects above average in every part of her life. She is confident, intelligent and cares how she presents herself to the world. She is who we buy for.
My fashion philosophy is to invest in a few very good pieces that are expertly designed to work with many looks – rather than a lot of trendy inexpensive pieces that never quite hit the mark. When you have one good piece – you can wear it for years and it always looks great. A good coat can look new for decades!
In contrast companies like Joe Fresh are about cheap fashion above all else and while they are a hugely successful brand – they stop short at quality. They employ teams of pattern makers who copy what the real designers are doing – then take those designs to the cheapest manufacturing facilities in countries like Bangladesh where they are knocked off and shipped out by the millions. These garments are made by workers who are exploited at all levels. After the devastating fire in Bangladesh that killed over a thousand workers, the world found out about the hideous conditions they work under for an average monthly pay of $14.00. That’s the human price of cheap.
Conversely authentic fashion designers are passionate about their craft – they seek out the most gorgeous fabrics and interpret them into beautiful shapes with outstanding body architecture. When those garments are worn they fit beautifully and emanate a great sense of style and quality. As soon as the real designers release their new collections the bottom feeders like Zara, Wal Mart, H&M and Joe Fresh knock them off and in a matter weeks they are in their stores at a fraction of the price and of course – the quality. And they are everywhere! My social conscience alone keeps me away from many of these companies with questionable ethics. To me they are the “junk food” of the fashion industry known as “fast fashion”. See this recent New York Times article about Zara. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/magazine/how-zara-grew-into-the-worlds-largest-fashion-retailer.html?_r=0
I mentioned risk – that’s what everyone in the trenches of the fashion world is taking every season when they introduce a new collection. Designers that we carry at Aphrodite like Eve Gravel, Dinhba, Lauren Vidal and Sarah Pacini pursue their own art form independent of formula driven designing that caters to the masses. They are trained and talented fashion designers setting the trends, investing in new looks, fabrics and the costs of bringing a collection to the market. This is where we find true originality, quality and exciting fashion. And risk.
For the most part as a buyer and manager I’m also participating in a great risk factor because none of us has any assurance that you, our customer is going to buy what they have designed and we have selected.
What happens when that risk doesn’t pay off?
Enter the dominant clothing retailer in Canada – Winners. They buy up leftover lots of clothing from designers and retailers that didn’t sell out in the season they were presented. In essence they buy up residual garments, often the mistakes – at a few cents on the dollar and bring them to market at great discounts while still making huge profits themselves. They are the industry’s other bottom feeders. It’s all about fast profit – nothing to do with fashion.
The same is true of many online clothing clubs like Beyond the Rack and Haute Look. You will seldom find first run fashions – again they operate on the same principle as Winners – they buy up leftovers from the industry at cheap prices. That explains why often the fit is not quite right and invariably the garment you receive does not compare to the online photo. At Aphrodite we see firsthand the desperation of a disappointed online customer shopping at the last minute for her special occasion dress.
There’s nothing that can replace the good old fashioned store with a great selection readily available for you choose from and try on the perfect outfit.
We pay fair prices for the merchandise we carry helping to sustain a healthy independent fashion industry in Canada and the world. We know that the clothing we carry is manufactured in safe environments where workers are paid fairly. We hand pick a superb selection of clothing in small quantities per style so you can be sure you’ll find just what you’re looking for and won’t see yourself at that big event. We deliver superb customer service on top of that. When you shop at Aphrodite we work with you as your personal fashion consultant. You give us a direction and we bring you the pieces that we know will work best for you and then we’ll show you how to wear them for maximum impact. We get to know you and your preferences so you end up with something that you really love and feel good wearing. And we will hem and alter the garment (for free) so it fits you perfectly. With a planned approach for your seasonal wardrobe you actually end up saving money. (Think of all the sale and discount items in your closet gathering dust). In fact, now when I do my buying I have specific customers in mind when making my selections for the next season. This kind of service is almost an outdated concept in today’s world but so far it’s working for us.
Aphrodite has become a destination for women across the province and beyond who shop here and regularly tell us it’s the most beautiful store anywhere.
We like to think of our shop as one that delivers gourmet clothing as opposed to fast clothing. Yes you pay more than you do for “fast fashion” but one thing is for sure – you get what you pay for!
PS. This article has drawn a lot of attention. Here are some of the comments I received in my email box. Thanks to all of you for weighing in – keep the comments coming!
Dear Tiiu
I just read your article ‘’ Why is it so expensive’’…..very well written & explained. Bravo! Too bad one nasty person had bad comments, I think she is the one that is snooty , definitely not you.
Diane
Outstanding essay, Tiiu. You told me things about online sellers and discount retailers selling designer labels that I guessed were not kosher but didn’t understand exactly why. As a customer, I’ve noticed all the problems you mentioned in your article. You are an amazing business woman and you have such an outstanding eye for fashion. Aphrodite is a Nova Scotia treasure; I’m thrilled every time i step in your door by the quality and beauty of your clothes not to mention your other wonderful products and art work and your capable, warm and personable sales crew ( I love those women!).
Virginia
APHRODITE 
Bravo.. well said. Thank you for this share.
xo G
Gisele Theriault founder/director The Barber’s Daughters 688 Richmond St. West #101 Toronto, On. M6J 1C5 866-979-3456 http://www.tbds.org
Hi T very well written as usual and needed to be put out there…..R
I have shopped in some of the most high-end stores in Canada, Holt Renfrew, Ports, Frieda’s (they dress Tracy Moore) and to be honest your store does not come close, and guess what I even a a few pieces from Joe Fresh, which u seem to feel the need to deride.
When you start carrying real cashmere from Scotland and not crap from China then maybe u could consider yourself a little higher on the scale.
Your store is far to crowded, even at Fashion Frenzie, I do not have to comb thru clothes all jammed together.
Your whole attitude seems very snotty and even small town folk don’t like that, I will be surprised if you are still open in 2015, but good luck trying.
Diana Marie Prince
Sent from my iPad
>
Ouch…nasty girl.
Dear Diana
I appreciate your comments and I recall your quest for cashmere from Scotland. I was there in 2010 and indeed most of their fine woolens are now manufactured in China as well. The sad truth is the closure of so many manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe because of the transition to cheap labour in Asia. That’s true of all kinds of manufacturing including auto parts etc. The good news is that labour standards in China have risen considerably and some of the finest quality manufacturing comes from there. New technologies and advanced skills have led to that and China now reports the top wages among garment manufacturing countries. That’s not to say more improvements aren’t needed in some places but progress is always slower than we would like. Now garment manufacturers are flocking to countries like Bangladesh where workers are paid the lowest scale in the world – about $14.00 a month and often work in terrible conditions. Speed and efficiency keep prices low which is why you won’t find a lot of quality, Hopefully with world attention, after the big fire in April, conditions will improve there as well.
Your second comment about the store being overcrowded is well taken. We are working to improve that. In the early years of business it’s always a struggle to find the right balance as we get to understand our clients, sizes, etc.
As for the rest of your comments – many people are so happy to have a store like ours on your Main Street and thankfully they wish us well.
Best regards,
Tiiu
This was an argument about quality and artistic merit. The stores you mentioned are definitely great stores but there is something to be said about the ability to find a piece of clothing that is unique that can not be found in other places, especially in Nova Scotia. Other high end stores are like one another in many ways in that they carry similar products amongst each other. A Holt Renfrew in Calgary would probably not be all that different from a Holt Renfrew in Toronto nor would they be all that different from other high end stores found in other places in Canada and abroad. There is only one Aphrodite and the range of products they carry are exceptionally diverse and reflective of an artful approach towards fashion. This is something that you just don’t find anywhere in Nova Scotia, especially in small towns.
In communities like Antigonish, people will always talk and Aphrodite already has a reputation of being expensive among the locals. Luckily the store also has a reputation around the rest of the province as something special and worth seeing. Having the store on Main Street makes Antigonish a new shopping destination for folks from around the province. Wal-Mart can’t draw people in from Halifax to Antigonish but Aphrodite can.
Not everyone can walk in there and buy their yearly wardrobe as it is not the place for most people to buy their everyday clothes. However, if you want to wear something special, beautiful and unique that can be worn forever and ever, there are few places of compare in northern Nova Scotia (or even province wide). Joe Fresh is fine and dandy, and Fashion Frenzies is too, but you would never buy something from them to wear to a wedding, prom, or other special time in your life. At Aphrodite you could.
Price is not always the main concern when customers are presented a superior product. There is specific target market for Aphrodite where high quality, artistic merit, beauty and uniqueness is critical. The care and thought that goes into providing the clothing that meets these criteria will ensure that the selection will remain unrivaled in Nova Scotia. This will continue to attract customers helping Aphrodite thrive well into the future.
That was an amazing response! Thanks!
Thanks for the great message on fashion as art and the care you take in reflecting this into your business. It is always such a pleasure to experience Aphrodite. The clothing, music and overall vibe plus amazing staff make it a worthwhile and memorable time. Thanks! Sincerely, Rachel
Sent from my iPhone
>
Thanks for your lovely message. We’re so grateful for customers like you.
All the best, Tiiu
Hi Tiiu
This is a perfectly worded message – right on target.
Keep it up.
Marie Hagerty
Marie Hagerty
63 Wingold Avenue
Suite 204
Toronto, Ontario
M6B 1P8
P (416) 351-9942 ext 101
F (416) 351-9943
marie@hlfashionsales.com
slow fashion rules!!!!! thank you Tiu for bringing it to Nova Scotia!
Good take on the subject. Nothing good ever comes fast. Thanks!
What a wonderfully written piece! It is so true what you say about sustaining the fashion industry in a responsible way. There are so many big names out there, who simply treat you as a sale on the rack rather than a real customer who walks through the door.
Beyond that, you are right about being more contentious about the purchases we make, and how they affect the rest of the world. The classic line of buy it nice or buy it twice comes to mind; it speaks volumes when measuring quality, ethical shopping and even goes as far as to consider the impact crappy clothes have on the environment.
Bravo! Well said! Thanks Mama!
Commoditization is cheaper than creativity – which is why everything is starting to look the same. Bravo to all the independent retailers who have the courage to do their own thing! For sure it’s not easy but thankfully there are enough people who get it who will help sustain us.Thanks for your comment!
I am so grateful to have such a beautiful,artful(art-filled!) store as Aphrodite in Antigonish. Another gem on Main Street!
Thank you for your excellent essay,Tilu.
My frugal Mom,on a modest teacher’s salary,always looked fabulous,even at 91! She taught my sisters and me,when shopping for clothes, to plan carefully,buy quality,accessorize the outfit before leaving the store,and then resist buying bits and pieces on the sale racks.
Wise advise from a generous lady who always lived within her means.
She would have shopped at Aphrodite!
Hello Bev
That is wise advice. Thanks so much for your comments.
Tiiu
Tiiu,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I admire your bravery to write an article like this one! It’s such a touchy subject also for us artists that are also competing with the big box stores.
The refreshing part about working with you is that you that seek out designers that are taking a risk with what they are creating and you believe in us!!!!
Thanks for making glamjulz shine at Aprhodite. You are far from a snob. You are a person that cares whole heartedly for her customers and also for her suppliers.
Monica XO
Hi Monica
We’re all in this together – creative minds trying to take their place in this commoditized world where only profit prevails.
Thanks for your comments – you are so much more than a supplier.
Tiiu