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Last week I had the pleasure of discovering a completely hidden gem right in the heart of downtown Montreal, in the Cartier building more precisely (3410 Peel, Suite 1704, corner of Sherbrooke and Peel).
This by appointment luxury oasis has great potential to become your best kept secret when it comes to finding original, vintage or luxury pieces. With its mix of both new and preloved items from different established household designers to Italian signature labels. For example, I had a crush on many items: Gorgeous Dolce & Gabanna clutch, Chanel necklace and earrings, Chanel ensemble, Manolo Blahnik and YSL heels. I also enjoyed discovering an Italian brand named GIZIA which adds a funky twist to its designs. Another cool thing about this place is the vast selection of sizes (from 0 to 24 for clothing and 5 to 11.5 for shoes) and price ranges starting at $60 for clothing, $100 for sun glasses and shoes and $100 for purses. And between us, if you get a bunch of items at once, you may be able to get an even better price. There are about 500 plus-size pieces, items from different decades and a visual of color and fabric display that may leave you dreaming for days.
Anastasia, the charming young woman behind this fashion heaven also sells some of her own designed fur coats and accessories. She has dressed celebrities like Celine Dion and has 1001 crunchy stories about fashion and art. She has a keen eye for unique pieces of art and put together quite a collection in a separate room which has a very museumy feel to it. You can literally feel and see the richness of history in that room through its gorgeous items. I had the pleasure of contemplating a 300 year old wooden cross, a middle ages maid fireplace door, a metallic croissants holder and many other items I did not even know existed in the past. Anastasia not only makes you feel at home in the Cartier (affordable luxury) apartment, but she has a story for every item and you can feel her passion through those stories and how she carefully handles every one of those pieces.
She regularly adds new items from the stored inventory and from new purchases. You can book an appointment with her by phone at 514-815-0409 or by email at info@designerluxuryforless.com to shop and the schedule is flexible.
You can also check out their Facebook page.