Freshen Up Your Home for Fall: Pop-Up Shop Features Canadian Artisans

Derick Chetty | September 27th, 2019

picture of a knitted blanket draped over a wooden chair

Photo courtesy of Simons

A four-day pop-up shop of Fabrique 1840, the online marketplace featuring Canadian artisans launched last year by the Quebec department store Simons, has opened on Toronto’s trendy Queen St. W.

Fabrique 1840 — both the pop-up and the e-commerce site — is a showcase of the wealth of talented artists and small companies across the nation who create everything from home decor to fashion accessories to beauty products. Delve into the backgrounds of some of these entrepreneurs and you’d be surprised by their unique stories, like the hand-knit label that employs seniors or the stationery company whose handmade techniques can take months to craft a notebook. Who knew Manitoba could produce exquisite blown glassware?

“These are real craftsmen and they are incredibly passionate about their art,” says Simons president Peter Simons.

Simons says he saw many Canadian lines over the years he wanted to work with, but because of their small size, they were not in a position to work with the large department store. So Fabrique 1840 was created as a platform to give these small businesses an opportunity to take advantage of the expertise and the scope of the Simons e-commerce site.

But while the artisans on Fabrique 1840 might be diverse, most if not all have eco-friendly and sustainable practices in common.

With climate marches and strikes taking place in cities across the globe, environmental concerns continue to escalate. The fashion industry has long been identified as having an excessively large carbon footprint. With fashion weeks currently in swing in the style capitals, the issue of sustainability is front and centre as designers and luxury brands grapple with finding solutions.

“The environment will be the biggest challenge of our generation,” says Simons. “We have to propose solutions.”

Encouraging consumers to shop locally and to be mindful of longevity and sustainability in their purchases is a cause already gaining momentum in Canada. It appears Fabrique 1840 is not the only pop-up advocating Canadian designs this weekend. INLAND, another Toronto pop-up store, is focussed solely on fashion and accessories made locally and ethically. Check out madeinland.ca for more details.

If you live in the Toronto area, check out Fabrique 1840 the pop up shop at 950 Queen Street West, Sept 26 – 29. Hours: Thursday and Friday, 11am to 9pm. Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

To shop Fabrique 1840 year round online, please check out Simons.ca

For ideas on how to give your home a creative refresh this season, check out our gallery below (Items are available both online and at the pop-up.)

Gibou small chunky knit throw, $135.

Gibou is an eco-responsible company based in Montreal which specializes in hand-knitted hats and home accessories. The company hires retirees who love to knit to produce some of the hand knit products. These seniors work from home and at their own pace.

Brook Drabot Sunny Yellow Bent Glass Straws, set of 2, $20.

Brook Drabot is a glass blower based in Warren, Manitoba whose work is inspired by wild nature.

Baltic Club California Pelican Poster, $40.

Baltic Club is a notepaper and stationery company created by a Montreal couple. Not only do they create their own original art work — featured on their notebooks or framed — but each exquisite piece is handmade. A notebook can take up to two months to make. Following strict eco-friendly standards, all the papers they use are FSC certified which follows sustainable forestry practices.

Chanv Restorative Hand and Feet Cream, $39.99.

Chanv is a Drummondville, Quebec company which specializes in hemp oil based beauty products and is GMO-free, phthalate-free, paraben-free and cruelty-free.

Lookslikewhite Wave Edge, set of 3, $170.

Lookslikewhite is a handmade tableware collection created by Montreal-based ceramist Trudy Crane.

Cadette Female Form Necklace, $150.

Cadette’s studio is based in Toronto and the designer uses traditional metal smithing techniques. Each piece is created by hand in an effort to reduce waste and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Les Industries Groom Shaving Trial Kit, $32.

Les Industries Groom is a line of all-natural men’s grooming products handmade in Montreal and contains no parabens, artificial fragrances, colouring agents and petroleum derivatives.