Earth & Crown is a women’s clothing store that does consignment as well as being an upcycling artisan shop.
Rebecca Lindsay and Anna McLauchlan have been partners of the retro active boutique for the last five years.
As customers of the little shop above Books & Co. climb the stairs to seek out treasures, they can’t help but notice all the delicate lace dresses and artistically hand sewn, patchwork jeans spilling out of the shop’s door and into ArtSpace at 1685 Third Ave.
The retro rack is to the left, dresses centre stage and other high-quality items like skirts, shirts and pants, on the racks to the right.There’s so much to take in your eye doesn’t know where to land.
Venture inside to see walls graced with framed original paintings created by Lindsay and shoes, hats, purses, sweaters, pants, and anything else you can imagine or want within the store.
The love that went into every inch of creating Earth & Crown is evident. Upcycled fence boards frame the counter that was put together by the hands of a brother-in-law, Dad made the heavy metal pipe and sturdy wood showstopper centrepiece where clothing is hung with a designer’s eye.
The women went on a hunting trip to Clinton to find unique pieces to make the shop that much more special. There’s a grey-washed door that is part of the dressing room wall. And louvred closet doors flank yet another row of clothing.
Hands reach up, unable to resist slowly sliding those clothes along the rack for closer inspection. That’s when you hear the impossible to believe, softly spoken words of ‘let me dress you’. When was the last time any of us got an offer like that? Head whips around, hopeful eyes meet Anna’s as she nods with an encouraging smile. You just know this Earth-friendly shop owner would help with that transformation every woman knows is possible if only given the guidance to make it so.
Bright as sunshine, Lindsay brings out a coat she made with her own two hands.
“I made this out of a quilt,” she said like it was no big deal. It is a big deal and it is brilliant.
In her past life she was a little girl who grew up on a dairy farm in Oregon. Influences of her childhood are evident in her paintings, the vintage tin-snipped jewelry she creates and even the dress she wears.
She took all the long-abandoned tablecloths, bits of needlepoint, and doily-like efforts that were all thriftshopped to patch together a retro, (of course) dress with a Peter Pan collar and lace- edged hem. It’s a living, breathing piece of history, honouring the long-ago art of embroidery. There’s flowers, swirls and intricately created patterns and so much to see that asking permission for closer inspection seemed to be the right thing to do because simply staring just seemed rude but irresistible.
“I cut up things I collected,” she said. “Then I patchworked all the pieces and made the dress.”
“Rebecca’s first love is quilting,” McLauchlan said. “That’s the Earth part of this. This is stuff that has been given away, perhaps a grandmother made and it’s not wanted anymore and she’s taken those pieces and made something so beautiful.”
Lindsay’s grandmother Maxine was an embroiderer quilter and that’s where the love of the art came from.
“All the pieces are from thrifting – I would never cut up something grandma made me,” she said with a quick shake of her head.
“I have things I have made from recycled fabrics. I have a jumper and there’s another dress and there’s one that has some politically incorrect things on the fabric from maybe the 80s, but it’s kind of funny and I made a little jumper out of it. I haven’t made anything like this dress for the shop because it took a long time and I’m not sure people would pay for it.”
McLauchlan said they look for retro patterns during thrift store adventures and then Lindsay uses them to create her artwork clothing.
“Because the retro material is better suited for the retro pattern,” McLauchlan explained.
The store was always intended to be to sell secondhand clothing and offer sustainable designs.
“We have a few other designers that offer items that have been recycled,” Lindsay said.
“We try to promote local people if they use some kind of recycled element,” McLauchlan added.
It’s show-and-tell time and out come little owls and birds that are made from recycled sweaters that can hang in a window or from a rearview mirror. And there are earrings with a leather element that looks better as they age, McLauchlan noted. There is crystal chandelier jewelry on display, including earrings and necklaces and they are especially popular at Christmas time because of the reflective nature of the cut crystal that adds a special sparkle to that little black dress.
“We’re both creatives so our joy is to make stuff – we’re always creating,” McLauchlan said to explain the connection she and Lindsay have.
The upscale side of the shop includes good quality clothing that has stood the test of time.
“We don’t do store brands because our people are looking for something different,” McLauchlan said.
“And for sustainability it’s better to do a higher quality piece than something that will quickly fall apart,” Lindsay added.
“And that retro rack is filled with clothes that I used to wear the first time around,” laughed McLauchlan. “It’s got items from the '80s and '90s and even earlier too. Very popular with the young people, because the styles come back and those items are made more solidly. The jeans don’t have the elastane in them, they are really solid, all-cotton denim. These items appeal to a big demographic like our customers who are 14-year-old girls to women of all ages, all sizes. The young people especially come in to look at that rack.”
McLauchlan said customers get excited when they discover something retro that has a bit of a fresh take on it.
“One-of-a-kind items are sought after items,” she said. “It’s always special when we see people out and about wearing items from the shop. And people come back to us wearing a full Earth & Crown outfit and that’s really exciting to see.”
Popular items right now are sweaters as people are getting ready for fall.
Jeans are always a best seller. Linen and flowy dresses were on trend this summer.
The duo are unintentional models for the shop as their wardrobes reflect the mission of the store that speaks to high end, good quality used clothing and upcycled fashions geared for wearability. When people see what they are wearing, suddenly those items are popular with patrons.
“Because we love thrifting too,” Lindsay said. “And we are picky about what we take. No stains, no pilling, no stretching.”
Setting up consignment at Earth & Crown is done by appointment. Items must be seasonal, on trend, in new or like-new condition and the pair encourage vintage and retro items because they're so popular right now.
“We don’t like the stretchy polyesters,” Lindsay said.
“We’re looking for natural fibres,” McLauchlan said. “And we have very good luck with quality purses and shoes.”
This was a passion project.
“I retired from 23 years teaching at the college, Becky was a counsellor and raising children and this was the creative outlet we both wanted and needed,” Anna explained. “And the timing was right so that’s how it happened.”
The shop has always been a success.
“But it’s been really neat to watch it grow and do well and I love it,” Lindsay said with a grin.
“I always say we should’ve done it when we were young and our backs didn’t hurt.”
Customer keep coming back often because they know there’s a high turnover so there’s always something new to discover.
“It’s a very joyful shop and our customers are so lovely,” McLauchlan said. “We appreciate them all so much.”
Store hours are Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To find out about extended hours starting and for more information visit www.facebook.com/earthandcrown.
