Iris on Laurier - a one stop for elegance

I LOVE RUE LAURIER!


MONTREAL - Boutiques are the saving grace for many a Quebec designer, and Iris Setlakwe’s new namesake store is graceful indeed.

Marking the 10th anniversary of her collection, Setlakwe has opened a retail shop on the western edge of Laurier Ave., stocking her well-edited womenswear in an airy salon setting with black velvet French antique chairs, black chandelier and polished cement floors, designed by Line Thibault.

“For the first time, people can see the full collection,’’ she said. “It’s to make wardrobing easy for women. Everything goes together.”

The clothes are meant for the businesswoman, age 30 and up, she said, and can meet all of her needs, from professional to casual to chic.

Hanging on the racks are lined jersey sack dresses in black, pale grey and salmon ($245); an easy boyfriend jacket in the palest blush ($325); a flirty silk chiffon top in black or white ($185); and a linen sailor stripe dress ($375).

Dresses are her biggest sellers, and Setlakwe herself was wearing a tulip-skirted black dress with three-quarter sleeves that flatters the figure well.

“I always talk about elegance,’’ she said when asked to define her line’s signature look.

“There are so many trends on the market,” she added, saying women sometimes get lost and dress in clothes that are too young and inappropriate.

Setlakwe will spend Thursdays from 2 to 8 p.m. in the store. “The idea is to listen to the women and dress her according to her lifestyle,’’ she said.

Fabrics come mainly from Italy, and everything is made in Montreal. So if there’s a need to restock a popular style, Setlakwe said, she can do so in three weeks.

Iris Setlakwe boutique is at 1127 Laurier Ave. W.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Iris+Laurier+stop+shop+elegance/4805359/story.html#ixzz1OXvjHlLS