Tagged: store news

In the short time since their grand opening, Rook & Rose Floral Design Boutique has quickly become Victoria’s premier luxury floral boutique. Located just a few doors up Johnson Street from us, owner/lead designer Erica Smoulders and her talented team provide refreshing designs that reflect an uncompromising sense of refinement and unprecedented quality. We've kept Still Life For Him & For Her looking and smelling fresh over the past year with plants, bouquets, bows and succulents featuring a stunning selection thoughtful arrangements.

We recently viewed a living wall installation Erica worked on at a new, modern art space in Victoria that left us amazed, inspired and excited to dream up some future collaborations with her and her team. We're working on some big, exciting projects for the near future and eagerly await Rook & Rose floral arrangements to fill our space and hearts with colour and beauty.

Find Erica and her team only a few doors up from Still Life For Him, on the same side of the street at 569 Johnson Street in Victoria.

(Special thanks to E/A Photography for the all the beautiful photography of the interior at Rook & Rose. Visit E/A Photography online at eaphoto.ca)

from the impeccably-focussed creative mind of matty conrad, the man that brought you the lab salons, comes a brand new vision in downtown victoria: victory barber & brand. located in the stunningly modern atrium building on blanshard & yates, victory barber & brand sets the new standard for men's grooming services in victoria. with offerings that include classic straight-blade shaves with hot towels and refreshing eucalyptus steam, the talented and trained barbers are devoted to helping men present their best selves to the world.

we've been lucky enough to have opportunities over the past few months to check in with matty and peak our heads into the space as victory was in the planning & construction stages. opened just a couple of weeks ago, the launch event in the spaces honestly blew us all away. matty conrad's dedication to his craft, his professionalism and his desire to create spaces you truly want to be in is something to be a part of.

with jordan heading down to mexico today and our own matt touring the western united states on motorcycles with the megadestroyer crew, they'll both surely be in need of a fresh cut and a shave upon their return next week - and there's really only one logical choice for where they'll go... victory barber & brand, friend of still life.

• dresses: our summer dress collection from myne by ashley ann has had a phenomenal response from our victoria girls looking for perfect flirty, silk summer dresses. worn with strappy leather sandals the nicole maxi dress is perfect los angeles cool, or with heels and a drink in your hand the jamie or camilla silk party dresses will take you out for a night out this summer.
• cotton shirting & tanks: functional and wearable, drapey summer cotton shirting for both the men & women of still life is the way to beat the heat (in victoria or beyond) this summer. lines like the new unbranded freshjive, james perse, wesc, fred perry and penfield offer modern takes on classic summer shirting.
• hats: proud to be from southern california, brixton nails their styles & quality every season for us. unisex straw, felt & cotton hats finish off a summer outfit with style while keeping heads cool at the lake or in the pub.
• footwear: our footwear section expanded this season with the addition of the iconic american footwear brand bass on the ladies side. joining the ranks of fred perry and clae, all our summer footwear is easy to wear, lightweight and durable - worn all day every day from dressy to ultra casual. it also goes without saying that we are the harbour city's source for vancouver's very own native shoes in men's, women's & children's styles.
• swimwear: after a great first season last summer with swimwear at still life, we revisted the brands that performed the best and brought in one and two pieces swimsuits from adidas by stella mccartney and stockholm, sweden's design-minded wesc. styles from stella offer full functionality when swimming leisurely or competitively this summer, while the wesc styles bring more style with fun, bright stripes to the beach or camp site.
• ray-bans: we kept it really simple this summer with styles from the legendary ray-ban family limited to the original and new wayfarers and clubmasters all available in classic black or fresh tortoise.
• backpacks: get out in the sun with all your gear with colourful, functional, (nearly) indestructable fjallraven kanken backpacks. we've recently added the smaller mini-kanken to the roster, sized for smaller hiking trips or summer camp adventures for the wee ones.

and that about wraps us up! thanks for a great spring season victoria, all of us at still life appreciate seeing all the smiling faces and look forward to seeing you all throughout the summer! and remember we've got lots of killer styles from all your favourites in addition to the list above. stay safe in the sun and have a wicked summer!

we've all got an old (or young, aspiring) curmudgeon in our lives that sneaks out a few wise words and heartfelt sentiments every once and a while. this weekend is the day to pay back all those golden oldies in our lives as we celebrate father's day 2011. we've compiled a short list of some of our favourite still life men's items that should help get dad smiling ear to ear this june 19th.

• native shoes: almost a total no-brainer. lightweight, anti-microbial (read: they don't stink) summer footwear. with lots of sizes and colours to choose from the jefferson will remind him of his youth running around the baseball diamond while the howard will inspire him to push harder for that retirement boat.
• greenland wax from fjällräven: working with the assumption that 98% of dads like projects, the greenland wax from fjällräven will keep him busy for at least 40 minutes on a rainy day. made from beeswax & paraffin this wax will waterproof (and mosquito proof) any shirting, jackets, tents or backpacks he's all ready got to take camping or adventuring for the rest of the summer.
• fred perry silk ties: this one is pretty straightforward folks. maybe you got him a tie last year, maybe you got him him every year for the last 20 years - either way he could always use a nice new one so you can spot him as he's holding back tears at your graduation. plus you'll feel better knowing he's wearing a nicer tie than any of his old timer friends.
• ken diamond leather goods: some dads are tougher than others - and for these guys we've got ken diamond quality leather goods. handmade in vancouver, these full grain high quality leather goods range from wallets and braided leather wallet chains to key fobs, belts and leather cuffs. available in naturally-aging vegetan leather or tough as nails black leather.
• brixton hats & accessories: if dad's planning on spending any time at the barbecue this summer, he'll command the respect he deserves as king of the grill if he's wearing a crown from brixton. straw porkpie hats, lightweight cotton poorboy caps or nautically-trimmed greek fisherman hats from this california accessories company will ensure cooler heads will prevail when your steak gets cooked medium instead of medium-rare.

of course we'll also happily fill in a still life gift certificate with any cheeky, inside-joke nicknames for the man of the hour at your request - and we've got a full store of shirting, denim & other apparell that will make dad stand a little taller on his special day. so don't forget father's day is sunday, june 19th, 2011!

featuring heaps of beautiful colours, grasses, flowers & flags and of course, native shoes, our new window is one of our favourites we've ever done! we've been selling through the ultra-wearable eva slip on footwear styles from vancouver's native with a fantastic response from people of all ages. come down this weekend to get your best pick of the litter with all available spring 2011 colours and styles pictured above. we've got fantastic colours and styles, including the arrival of the hottest-selling spring 2011 style: the jericho!

as a spring deluge of rain continues to coat the garden city with water - we're seeing a lot of tourists & victorians alike scampering from awning to awning along johnson street trying to keep dry on their way to still life. so we thought we'd list a few basic spring essentials for living in victoria: once you've understood the benefit of a waxed jacket or well-made rubber boots, rainfall warnings will be an invitation for adventure, rather than a suggestion for reclusion.

waxed cotton, as the name suggests, is a cotton impregnated with a paraffin based wax, woven into the cloth, originating from the sailing industry in scotland. early mariners noticed that wet sails were more efficient than dry sails, but due to their weight slowed the vessel down. from the 15th century, mariners applied fish oils and grease to their heavy sailcloth, out of the worn remnants of which they cut waterproof capes to keep themselves dry (the precursor to the classic fisherman's slicker). the result was efficient sailing with dry, lighter sails in wet weather, and drier sailors.

this spring at still life we have a variety of waxed cotton outerwear from some of our strongest brands for both the men & women of the harbour city hoping to stay dry on these wet, west coast days. all these coats are lightweight for spring, but treated with similar paraffin based waxes to keep rain away through the remainder of the spring:

• penfield (hudson, massachusetts) - named after the birthplace of the penfield label, their hudson wax cloth is a densely woven fabric with a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton, making the material not only windproof but also extremely durable. the surface is water-repellent whilst still allowing for breathability and moisture wicking. available for spring: the women's anoka overcoat in heritage blue, the men's sconset khaki trail jacket & the men's hooded lockwood field jacket.
• fjallraven - (örnsköldsvik, sweden) - clothing, outerwear and even tents are produced using a fabric from fjallraven called g-1000. the densely woven fabric (65% polyester, 35% cotton) makes the material windproof, 'mosquitoproof' and extremely hard wearing. thanks to impregnation from fjallraven's greenland wax (a beeswax/paraffin blend) it is also extremely water resistent. the high-strength fabric wicks moisture effectively away from the body and is ideal for an active outdoor life. available for spring: the men's oban jacket in light green.
• ben sherman (brighton, england) - drawing inspiration from the functional utility of the scout movement and blending it with the collegiate aesthetic of early 60's americana, ben sherman spring 2011 offers a 'blue collar twist on practical preppy' with their waxed cotton anorak. dark navy with white ties & leather detail, the nautical-inspired anorak features an 'emergency orange' vest lining for added warmth in the cold wet, easily removable when moving into warmer spring and summer months. available for spring: the men's waxed cotton anorak in navy.
• dunderdon (gothenburg, sweden) - since 1997, dunderdon has been sweden’s most innovative workwear company. Founded by carpenter per-ivan hagberg, the mission at dunderdon has always been to create clothing for craftsmen who appreciate superior construction and smart design. with a strong history of wearable, functional working garments, dunderdon waxed outerwear are some of our strongest and most coveted. available for spring: the women's lj65 compact twill waxed spring parka in burnt orange, the women's lj21 compact twill long hooded waxed jacket in navy and the men's j64 waxed canvas carcoat in dark navy.
• tretorn (helsingborgs, sweden) - in 1891 tretorn was founded by johan dunker, setting the stage for one of the most enduring success stories born from the late industrial revolution. dunker’s company produced 39,000 pairs of rubber boots in 1892 - just two years later, the number rose to 206,000. almost overnight, everyone from villagers to military personnel were wearing tretorn rubber boots, and the quality of tretorn footwear is recognized as the best in sweden, denmark and germany. available for spring: women's skerry rain boots in yellow and navy, men's skerry rain boots in olive and men's strala short rain boots in black.

if you're a victoria local, you know the rain doesn't last for days on end. so as soon as you can find a break in the weather, sneak downtown and visit us at still life to get you outfitted for the rain in style.

fresh of the plane from the autumn/winter 2011 fashion retail tradeshow circuit, jordan put together this first of a few videos we'll share with you from our trip. working alongside a group of friends from victoria & vancouver, jordan has been producing a video a day every day this february under the guise of "video challenge awareness month". check out everyone's videos, including all of jordan's (and more still life videos to come) over at VCAM2.COM

now that two-thousand ten has come and gone all of us at still life would like thanks everyone who made this year so enjoyable and wish you all a safe & happy new year! we had a lot of fun in the store with everyone, and always enjoyed popping out to shows around town and running into all our still life friends & extended family. we saw some incredible acts at rifflandia 3 (dear ariel pink, are you o.k.?) and both the national and the arcade fire shows in vancouver were amazzzing. though we didn't catch the alexisonfire show, miriam made fast friends with dallas green here at the store (helping him into a pair of nudie tube kellys) and enjoyed a variety of post-show drinks over at smiths pub. and we can't forget the simply spectacular local boy aaron bergunder and his dreamboat cd release party at sugar last month for his new album buddies (available at ditch records).

speaking of our dear friends at ditch records - we'll be sad to lose them as a johnson street neighbour, but thrilled to help them ring in the new year with a relocation to a beautiful new (bigger) space on fort street. read the blurb in the times colonist here if you're still somehow unaware of their new space. now while we couldn't possibly keep up with the year in music the way the guys & girls at ditch can, we've compiled a quick list of some of our favorite records of 2010 that you probably heard playing at still life throughout the year:

kanye west - my beautiful dark twisted fantasy, dreamboat - buddies, beach house - teen dream, vampire weekend - contra, ariel pink's haunted graffiti - before today, arcade fire - the suburbs, m.i.a. - maya, hot chip - one life stand, four tet - there is love in you, ray lamontagne & the pariah dogs - god willin' and the creek don't rise, the national - high violet, the tallest man on earth - the wild hunt, best coast - crazy for you, belle & sebastian - write about love

again, thank you so much to all of our close friends & still life family. you're all fantastic, made 2010 incredible, and we'll see you soon in 2011!

the holidays are fast approaching and all of us at still life have been thrilled with the generosity shown by our friends in victoria leading up to the big days. we've just taken a huge batch of non-perishable food donations down to the mustard seed but we're not done yet - we want more! with every donation you or your friends bring in, you will enter to win a massive $1000 johnson street prize pack with goodies from still life and all of our friends on the block (enter every day, enter at every store!). the more food & money donations to the mustard seed, the better off everyone will be come the holidays.

starting this week we've got a few seasonal deliveries from vancouver friends lily & jae and ken diamond, biko jewelry from toronto, and the start of some amazing holiday promos on items in store:

• pairing up with our friends at genetic denim we are offering a very special 'buy two get one free' promo on all genetic denim styles currently in the store. this includes the twig midrise in captain black, the liam straight leg in wicked washed blue and the (amazing) aztec skinny chino in black.
• a strong selection of ladies coats have been put on sale starting at 20% off! this includes styles made for wet weather (waterproof tech jackets), cold weather (wool blend, thinsulate lined winter coats) and special evenings out during the holiday season (leather jackets and fur-trimmed wool coats). these coats include some of our classic seasonal offerings from our favorite international brands, so if you or your loved one is expecting a coat to make it through the winter, come down soon and take a look.
• designed & produced in vancouver by our dear friend judith feller, lily & jae has just completed their first ever in season holiday capsule collection for select retailers. we're extremely happy to have the collection on hand, as well as the return of our favorite lily & jae coat of all time, the olivia raincoat in british millerain. click here to read the summary of the special collection.
• and together with our friends at the lab hair salon we've partnered up to help with your gift-giving this holiday season: while supplies last we have special $20 lab gift cards to give you free with any still life gift card purchase of $100 or more - these are limited so come down before they all run out!

just by looking at our beautiful new window display you can see that still life is ready for the 2010 holiday season, and we're ready to help you do the same.

currently available in store and online to download and print yourself (just click here), we've made holiday wishlists for all of our friends & family in victoria hoping to find something from still life under the tree. fill out one of the wishlists after browsing through the still life blog, our still life facebook page, or checking the racks out yourself in the store - and leave it with us at the store so your friends & family can come in and see what it is you've found.

in preparing for the holidays we've put together a collection of easy-to-gift items that we think would be ideal for those on your list still in need of some spoiling. browse through the images on along the right and continue reading for still life's holiday 2010 suggestions.

• bags: whether it's a tano leather handbag, adidas by stella mccartney sports bag, penfield hiking backpack, dunderdon weekender or fjallraven kanken, we've got a variety of modern, styled bags to tote around all of your hoilday loot. good for guys & girls alike, you're going to get more leftovers to bring home from mum's house if you've got a big bag to store them all in.
• headphones: a full variety of styles & colours are available from both wesc with their bongo, oboe & maraca headphones and all three styles of urbanears: the plattan, tanto & medis models are all fully stocked in fantastic colours for both the boys & girls on your holiday list.
• mens leather accesories: rugged & masculine, the variety of wallets, cardholders, keyfobs & belts has grown steadily with a strong offering from brands like brixton, ken diamond & fred perry.
• womens necklaces & earrings: all jewlery currently available at still life are canadian-produced pieces from biko jewelry by corrine anestopoulos in toronto and tiny little chairs from montreal. simple, elegant & femenine gifts from either collection can be wrapped up in small jewelry boxes ready-to-gift as soon as she's ready for the holidays.
• warm knit accessories: we're happy to still have a wide variety of these classic holiday gift items available on both the mens & womens sides of the store. as the temperature continues to drop cotton/silk blend leggings & hosiery from la's hansel from basel are flying fast. warm & cozy 100% lambswool scarves, mittens & toques from gothenburg's dunderdon are still available, as well as wool blend scarves & toques from american brands brixton & penfield.
• cold & wet weather footwear. still life is located in on the west coast of canada on vancouver island. it gets wet here. we've already had our first snowfall of the season and if the reports are to be believed there should be more. footwear to help you handle the west coast winter will help you stay dry & warm throughout january & february. we have full sizing in some of our favorite styles & colours from vancover's native shoes with the fitzsimmons street hiker, and the lined skerry vinter rubber boots from sweden's tretorn.
• gift certificates. let your special someone find exactly what they want at still life this holiday season, with holiday gift cards of any denomination. and for a limited time, any gift card of $100 or more will get you a free $20 gift card from our friends at lab salons (while supplies last).

from all of us at still life we wish you the very best, safest and happiest holidays & new year and we'll see you soon at 551 johnson street.