Nowhereland
NEW RETAIL CONCEPT SOURCES UNIQUE FINDS THAT ARE BOTH BUDGET & TREND CONSCIOUS
Story by Reem Jazar
Photos by Arden Wray
I first encountered Nowhereland while strolling down Queen Street West after a workout. I was inside Love of Mine Boutique when I was drawn to the back of the store where an assortment of florals, stripes, body-con dresses and refreshingly unique pieces hung.
Already feeling as if I had encountered a hidden gem on the street that was home to so many different boutiques and fashionable independent shops, I glanced at the price tag that hung from an eye-catching dress and was really excited to discover that not only were these cute buys, but they were affordable as well.
After sitting down with the three stylish, vibrant and fun ladies behind the Nowhereland shop it is apparent that this is the brainchild of some experienced fashion insiders and seasoned shoppers.
Trish Padlan, one of the owners of Nowhereland, says she was hanging out with friends Jessica Sack-Tina and Andrea Ciurria when she approached them with the idea to start their own shop.
“The store launched about three months ago we kind of decided to take a chance. We wanted to do an online shop for a while,” says Padlan.
The three scout different clothes from locales including New York, Los Angeles, and Asia, and sell them online or through their extended pop-up shops.
“We took a few trips to New York and L.A and just started sourcing out the type of wholesaler that would bring out the kind of items that we really loved,” says Sack-Tina. “We started looking at independent designers and searching [for] styles that we didn’t see in Toronto or Canada.”
As for their reasonable prices, Ciurria says they saw a clear vacancy within the Toronto retail industry.
“We want to be a more cost effective, fashion forward company, like you don’t need to break the bank to stay on trend,” shares Ciurria.
Furthermore, Padlan said they recognized a need within the Toronto fashion community that needed to be addressed. “I think the reason that we saw this opportunity is in Toronto there is either H&M, Forever 21 and then there are boutiques which are way out of most people’s price range. There’s no middle ground, especially for girls our age,” says Padlan. “It’s hard to go shop, especially for our income level, [and] to buy things that are unique.”
Padlan says Nowhereland is bringing in more branded items. ”Right now we have Dimepiece from L.A., [and] we’re bringing in Shown to Scale from New York, and we’re bringing in an independent designer from New York [JawMaker],” she shares.
The trio are now on to their second extended pop-up shop, this time in the ground floor of the Burroughes building at 639 Queen Street West. “Hopefully we’ll have our own space after that,” Padlan says.
In a few short months, the ladies behind Nowhereland have made quick progress, both within the Toronto style scene and as entrepreneurs. Their eclectic fashion finds from all over the globe, and the promise of more cat-themed items (from shirts to iPhone cases) will no doubt keep style lovers coming back for more.
