Jonathan and Olivia - International goodies galore
By Carol Liu
Jackie O'Brien is the brainchild behind Jonathan and Olivia - a boutique she calls her very own personal closet.
Shut Up!
Located on SOMA - South Main - O'Brien caught the fashion bug at an early age.
"Every Saturday my mom would bring my sister and I to her friends clothing boutique and every week we would spend hours in the shop watching my mom and her friends shop," says O'Brien. "I used to play shop girl with my friends, trying to sell my mom's clothes with an imaginary cash register."
The store, which is named after her nephew and niece, caters to "people who appreciate high quality fashion, design, art, music, traveling and amazing customer service."
Clothes sold in Jonathan and Olivia are items O'Brien have fallen in love with. Lucky for us, O'Brien has style.
"I only buy what I could see myself wearing. If I wouldn't wear it, I wouldn't expect my friends or clients to buy it. When I buy the men's collection, I only choose pieces I could see my boyfriend wearing," says O'Brien.
Like MAC Cosmetics, Jonathan and Olivia have not done a day of advertising. They have been blessed by local and international magazine editors and blogs clamouring to write about the chic shop. However, there is nothing more powerful than word of mouth.
"Our friends and customers have been spreading the word as well," says O'Brien.
While other shops on Main Street carry local and independent labels, Jonathan and Olivia introduce designer labels and accessories from around the world to Vancouverites.
The shop does support and work with local talent in other ways. More information can be found on the shops daily blog at www.jonathanandolivia.com.
Fashionable Vancouverites might hate the yoga and fleece style most people criminally sport these days.
However, O'Brien does not view this as a huge problem.
"The city is surrounded by mountains and the ocean, so the fleece wear and yoga lifestyle will not change. But, I have noticed a shift in fashion for both men and women in the city. They seem to be putting away the yoga wear when they're not in yoga class. I feel that people are starting to show their individuality by wanting to dress a little different than their friends. It's never fun to walk into a dinner party or event wearing the same piece as another guest. The Vancouver shopper is starting to look for something a little different."
With so many independent shops popping up around Vancouver, happiness and excellent customer service are qualities Jonathan and Olivia can attribute to their booming success of more than two years.
For more information and services Jonathan and Olivia provide, please visit www.jonathanandolivia.com.
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