.: 2009.12

J'ai un mini feat dans un article paru aujourd'hui dans la Gazette. Article par Eva Friede, photo par Marie-France Coallier.

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Heistek and Glasgow keep markups and prices low. Among the offerings: Jen Ham’s handcrafted two-headed creatures that she calls Snoojies and bunnies, $40; Marc Simard’s Broundoor line of etched leather accessories, $25 to $200;

Audrey Cantwell’s mink-collared capelets, $200; and the shop’s own animal-motif pillowcases, $40 a pair, with every step of production done in Mile End, Heistek boasted.

“There’s a real discussion of what buying from China means,’’ she said. “The lure of the H&Ms and Ikeas is extremely strong. Prices are lower, your dollar goes further. I understand why you would make that choice.”

That discussion is widespread. China, fighting a worldwide backlash against its products, has reacted, too. Last week, it launched an ad campaign to boost its image, using the tag line: “Made in China. Made with the world.”

Shirley DeCaen, of Kamikaze on St. Denis St., said many clients check labels and reject items made in China. The shop has stocked Quebec jewellery, fashion, hats and gloves for 20 years. In store now are umbrella dresses, $180 to $300, and brooches by Claude Bouchard, handbags by Concubine, luxurious fur-trimmed hats and gloves from Harricana. The brooches make a cute, affordable gift at $25, as do Concubine’s bags, like a red felt pochette embellished with rosettes at $26.

DeCaen, too, has noticed a growing awareness of the benefits of buying local, a result of the green movement and a concern for human rights in China, she said.

“It’s a dilemma,’’ she said, acknowledging that many of her lines, like Joanel handbags, are produced in China. “At least it’s designed here,’’ she said.

“But there has to be a price that’s affordable for ‘Madame tout le monde.’ ’’

Over at Headquarters Galerie + Boutique on Amherst St., there’s a similar funky vibe and many of the same designers as at General 54.

The shop contains two floors of fashion, art and notions, from here and beyond. And until the end of January, it holds its fourth annual art show of works all priced under $100 – including the cartoon work of Marc Bell and Rupert Bottenberg, silkscreens from Benjamin Deshaies and Jen Storey’s prints and digital collages.

Owner-artist Tyson Bodnarchuk said the idea is to encourage people to buy art instead of DVDs or CDs as gifts. His partner and fiancé, designer Angie Johnson, scored a coup recently: She created a seven-piece collection for Topshop, part of the British chain’s “Edit” collection, which launched during London Fashion Week in September. Some of the items from Johnson’s Norwegian Wood line – fringe and feather necklaces, $60, and leggings in glittery lace or bright floral prints, $45 to $55 – are on sale at HQ. Her “crazy cage skirt” – an accessory that straps over a normal skirt – was not hanging on the racks.

Johnson, a native of Winnipeg who moved here to pursue her fashion career, said the movement to buy local is growing, but not quite there yet. “It’s more of a subculture associated with the Internet, which is ironic,’’ she said.

In fact, many of the independent designers who handcraft their work sell on Etsy, the website (www.etsy.com) with hundreds of thousands of sellers in 150 countries, listing more than 5 million items last week. Its mission, according to the site, is to “buy, sell and live handmade.” Johnson, Sarah Faber of Black Eyed Suzie Art Dolls and This Ilk’s Tamara Bavdek, who makes lace earrings and necklaces, are among the hundreds of Montreal artisans who sell on Etsy.

There’s a lot more to local, however, than indie, handmade fashion. Along with Etsy, the online shopping universe offers temptations way beyond our borders. Canadian retailers and designers are just now getting on board the online shopping juggernaut.

Entrepreneur Annick Charbonneau said she was frustrated, not able to find Canadian fashion online. “Why is nobody doing Net-à-porter here?’’ she asked herself, referring to the high-end online designer store. In April, she launched Chiccane.com, an online store featuring Canadian designers, mostly from Montreal.

The look of the moment? A fringed flapper dress by Nadya Toto. The site also sells Denis Gagnon’s bags, Bodybag by Jude, Travis Taddeo, Ruelle and Élaine Guindon, among others, at a fixed shipping rate of $9 in Canada.

She said she was hoping to encourage local talent. “I think people are making more conscious decisions about how they spend their dollars,’’ she added.