Simons, the 175-year-old family-owned Canadian fashion retailer, might hail from Quebec City but its new store in Park Royal has drawn heavily on the artistic icons of Vancouver.
Wrapped in a concrete Coast Salish welcome blanket, the entire exterior of the $30-million, 100,000-sq. ft. building, designed by Quebec architect firm Lemay Michaud, catches the light with alternating cream chevron-print panels as you turn off Marine Drive in West Vancouver and cruise towards the southernmost parking lot.
Located on the traditional territory of the Squamish First Nations, Simons tapped Coast Salish artist Jody Broomfield to create the sandblasted granite relief at the south entrance to the store. Upon approach to the main entrance you are greeted by the sweeping symmetrical wings of his outstretched eagle installation, named “Kayachtun” for welcome. The subtle black-on-black design pays homage to the spiritual power of the eagle and represents the traditional Salish hand gesture of greeting.
Inside the store, Simons and its design team, Designstead, have artfully knit together a flowing series of boutiques, from the junior fast fashion of Twik, with its pops of fuschia tile, plush stools and neon, to the high-end experience of Edito, which houses bold selections from international designers like Missoni, Mary Katrantzou, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Kenzo and Balmain.
The main floor also holds Miiyu, the women’s lingerie department, iFive activewear and the homewares department, Maison.
Icône’s and Contemporaine’s boutiques, defined by restrained natural finishings and tasteful area rugs, differentiate themselves with classic fashions for the more established female shopper.
Nestled next to them in the heart of women’s apparel also lies the second art experience: a sculptural garden explosion created by West Vancouver artist Bobbie Burgers. Burgers, sought after around the world for her large-scale floral paintings, was commissioned to create a 50-piece wall installation of brilliantly hued ceramic flowers in various states of decay. Mounted above the cash register, the vibrant blue petals practically beg to be smelled as you head out.
Meanwhile, if you continue through the store to the central bank of escalators you’re swept up to menswear, housing the hip hop-inspired fashions of Djab, the men's edition of Edito, and the affordable business-casual-to-black-tie wares of Le 31 on the second floor, or the artisanal, 50-seat French-Canadian café (furnished with 15 pieces of art by Arts Umbrella students as part of a three-year art lending program).
Overhead, though, hangs the showstopper: the double-height atrium is bisected by a classic Douglas Coupland piece – 40 feet of sleek, brightly striped fibre glass and steel fashioned into the shape of a bow tie. An obvious nod to to its sartorial surroundings, “Bow Tie” is also a covert reference to the North Shore Lions. Coupland wanted to represent the area’s iconic twin peaks with his sculpture, but wasn’t able to simply hang the two cones side by side, so he turned them inward and joined them neatly at the tips.
On a one-on-one walk through of the store, fifth-generation CEO Peter Simons said the emphasis on art and architecture is a product of passion.
“I love architecture and I like the idea of art and public spaces,” said Simons, a tall, energetic figure who was spotted personally laying out ties and arranging displays in the men’s section. “Because I get the museum thing, but I don’t get the museum thing, where 95 per cent of [the collection] is in the basement. Get it out in public, let it do its job. It’s job is to inspire. And more than ever today it’s important to have beautiful things. People can get really depressed reading the newspaper and yet the art, for me anyway, just reminds us it’s not all bad.”
Art plays a prominent philosophical role across the company, with other Simons stores featuring installations by Guido Molinari (Montreal), Pascale Girardin (Quebec City) and Philip Beesley (Edmonton).
The store at Park Royal, Simons’ 11th, is part of a country-wide expansion into Calgary, Mississauga, Ottawa and Gatineau as well.
John Simons originally founded Simons as a dry goods store in Quebec City in 1840. With brothers Peter and Richard Simons currently at the helm, the company has more than 2,000 employees and offers a large selection of apparel from moderately priced separates and exclusive discovery brands to luxury offerings from homegrown and international designers. The brand rejects the department store label, however, eschewing cosmetics and large appliances for its more specialized focus.
Simons opens to the public Thursday, Oct. 15. There will be a number of customer experiences offered, including food samples from the cafe on Thursday and Friday, and a free custom-calligraphed place card station on Saturday and Sunday for honouring your most favourite dinner guests. On Nov. 14 and 15, Douglas Coupland will be in-store manning a 3D printing booth and scanning select faces for a cross-Canada art project. The free event runs from from noon to 4:30pm and is on a first-come first-served basis. Participants will leave with their own personalized miniature bust.
