by Jen Charlebois

JoshuaDAVID is the new kid on the block in Westmount’s shopping district. Sherbrooke Street W has seen its share of boutique turnover and fly-by-night businesses that can’t tap into the needs and wants of fickle, picky, and sometimes spoiled clientele. However, JoshuaDAVID might just offer the right mix of style, knowledge, and old-fashioned personalized touches to make it in this market.

Joshua Fagan and David Archer are the young business partners behind this small venture. Both have extensive experience with the luxury market, and perhaps most importantly, luxury clientele. What is immediately obvious is that these guys work hard. They are smart, enthusiastic entrepreneurs who know their stuff and want to succeed.

In this boutique, instead of being ignored by affected, disinterested, young salesgirls, Joshua and/or David, who hand-pick all of their offerings, will greet you personally upon your arrival. With offerings of espresso or coffee, they immediately make known their availability should you require any help. They also know when to back off and allow you to browse solo to your heart’s content. This kind of balance between service and respect is almost unheard of in most independent boutiques in general, where you are either completely left to your own devices, or must fight to keep your wits when accosted with a hard-seller.

In addition to your daily eye-opener, JoshuaDAVID features fashion and accessories, such as BOSS Black, RUFFIAN, Line, Filippa K, Canadian brand Smythe (Malin + Goetz), Invisibelt and more. You’ll also be impressed with their house line of well-made blouses by JoshuaDAVID Prive, as well as variety of labels under their JoshuaDAVID Vintage line, such as Lanvin, Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche, and Dior. In addition, Fagan and Archer offer a client loyalty program called “OurSOCIETE” in which little extras and incentives are presented to “spoil” and thank customers. Perks include in-store JoshuaDAVID gift cards, manicures, massages and yoga classes from local spa/gym Victoria Park, and generous certificates to posh and popular Bice restaurant.

Finally, alongside alterations and deliveries, JoshuaDAVID offers “Wardrobe Cataloguing” to help you rediscover and order all of the stylish items hiding in the back of your closet. One can’t help but be moved to support this charming, ambitious, young business duo in their bold venture. I spoke to them recently to get the down-low on the JoshuaDAVID goods.

SheDoesTheCity:: First of all, how did you get your start?

David Archer: It was almost four years ago now – I had just graduated college and I was working for Scotiabank as a Personal Banking Officer when I decided to get a part time job at the only luxury boutique in town as a sales person. My role at the boutique quickly grew as I fell more in love with the industry and eventually took over my career at Scotiabank, about a year and a half later I made the move to Holt Renfrew in Toronto. My career at Holts began in client service as a Specialist for the Theory department, and paved the way for my move into the buying office where I assisted the womens wear modern designer, outerwear and private label businesses.

Joshua Fagan: I was pretty much born into the business. My mother is a 20-year boutique owner (LMNOP in Westmount), my father is in sales, while all my grandparents either owned or worked retail all their lives. Although my first real taste was working for American Apparel while studying fashion marketing at LaSalle College. While I had started as a part-timer at AA, I worked all the way to an Area Manager position. After leaving American Apparel, I joined Holt Renfrew, which is where I fell in love with fashion. I started off at Holt Renfrew as a Sales Supervisor in cosmetics, although quickly moved up to Area Sales Manager for their designer womens wear department. This position introduced me to some amazing people on all ends of the business. From there, I moved down the 401 to Toronto to work at Harry Rosen’s brand new flagship on Bloor Street. While Toronto is a great city, I missed my family, friends, and clients in Montreal….which brought me home.

SDTC: Besides offering classic, well-crafted pieces, you also focus on personalized, client-focused service, and cater to an upscale crowd. Tell me a little bit about how you came up with the JoshuaDAVID concept, and what makes it unique.

DA: Joshua and I really thought about the strengths we have seen in the companies we worked for and how we could build upon them. We wanted to spin the wheels back a few generations before the term “accessible luxury” even existed and match the type of service that was offered then with the value-conscious prices that we can offer today. We promise to deliver personal service, we keep detailed notes (and Joshua has the most incredible memory with his clientele) and consider all of our clientele individually when we are deciding what to buy.

SDTC: How would you describe the JoshuaDAVID customer?

DA:The JoshuaDAVID customer is a fashion-conscious woman who likes to get dressed for the fun of it, with no need to impress anyone but herself. She appreciates the quality of her wardrobe, at JoshuaDAVID we believe in building a fashionable but timeless wardrobe that will keep our clients excited!

SDTC: How did you put together your ourSOCIETE program and how does one get into it?

DA: In order to become a member of ourSOCIETE all you need to do is become a customer of JoshuaDAVID! The philosophy behind the program is simple – we appreciate your business and want you to know it! We partnered with businesses that service a similar clientele and we are hoping to expand the program as our business grows. Whether you purchase a fabulous (Malin + Goetz) Lip Moisturizer or a luxurious BOSS lambskin leather jacket you will become a valued member of ourSOCIETE.

SDTC: I notice your have client “profiles” online, which provide your customers with fun, celebrity-esque style features. How do you choose your subjects?

DA: Every one of our clients has a unique fashion identity or as we say, fashionality, and they should all be celebrated. As we continue to grow our business we will continue to highlight our clients, really whenever the mood strikes us in store we ask whoever happens to be visiting if they’d like to participate. We’ll have a fun impromptu fashion shoot, the client can choose their favourite picture and answer our five fun questions. It usually ends up being a really fun half an hour or so.

SDTC: Tell me about your blog. Your online component is very clean and sophisticated, along with interactive and contemporary (For example, you offer interactive Facebook applications, an online store, and stylish graphics). In addition to the client profiles, your blog provides your customers with a feeling of friendly familiarity with you. This is no ordinary, bland, boutique website. What is behind it, and where do you see it going?

DA: Well Joshua and I thought it was very important to try and share the same in store personality we have online so we have tried to make the website reflect that! We hope to see the blog develop a strong fan base and we LOVE when people comment on our thoughts. Also we recently launched our online store, so for example when you fall in love with something on our blog like the BOSS Black Calina coat – one click will take you to our online store so you can see what we have available. It’s just about being connected to the store on line and about being as close with our clients as possible. We want to build lasting relationships.

SDTC: Tell me about JoshuaDAVID Prive and Vintage Couture for JoshuaDAVID. How did these collections come about?

DA: Joshua made the Vintage Couture for JoshuaDAVID happen through the relationship he had built with a company in Toronto, Vintage Couture. It was in the two weeks between leaving our employers and moving to Montreal that he worked with them to put together a package specifically for JoshuaDAVID. We love how we are able to merchandise the vintage with the new collections; this really shows first hand why shopping quality over quantity is the smartest decision for your wardrobe. JoshuaDAVID Prive happened through my experience working with the private label collections at my previous employer because we really felt there was strength behind offering a tailored, quality line of Canadian made shirting as a representation of the JoshuaDAVID aesthetic. Timeless and fashionable.

SDTC: What are some of the things around you, outside of the fabulous designers that you showcase, that inspire you?

DA: I know this sounds clichéd but my inspiration really is the people in my life, my friends, family and definitely our clients. All the designers and brands that are inspired by dramatic ideas or the shorelines of southern whatever are great and we love them for it, but when Joshua and I are responsible for connecting the design world to our clients, it is crucial that they are the inspiration behind our assortment. This boutique is designed with them in mind and it is our task to edit the collection to suit their lifestyles.

JF: My travels abroad inspire me! Whenever possible, I take the opportunity to see a new city and culture. There is nothing that I enjoy more than to sit on a cafe terrace and people watch in a foreign city. I take in the different looks and styles and put them in my memory bank for when styling a client. While not all looks are suited for every body type, I’m usually bang-on.

JF: What is the best part of your job?

DA: Our clients, this was what I missed most when I was working in the buying office at Holts. Trust me, I love fashion and I am a WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) addict but nothing makes me happier than to watch one of our clients fall in love with one of the pieces we chose (out of thousands) specifically for her! I want people to fall in love with shopping again, it should be fun!

JF: I would have to say the client interactions as well. This may sound cheesy, although it really is the truth, I love our clients! Whether she is coming in for one of our espressos, or planning out a new wardrobe, I love just talking to our clients and getting to know them.

SDTC: Which celebrity would you be most excited to see pop into your store?

DA: I would be most excited to have Rihanna visit our store, she exudes such a strong sense of self through her wardrobe and has really defined a generation of music that is rarely seen these days and at her age it is such an incredible accomplishment. I hope to do for fashion what she has done for music! Ha-ha well something like that anyway!

JF: I want Zooey Deschanel to pop into JoshuaDAVID. Can you pull some strings? I love her energy, personality, and style! There is also a part of me that would have loved to have dressed Jackie O back in the day.

SDTC: What are your top picks for Spring 2010?

DA: The romper! We are calling the jumpsuit “the romper” because it sounds more fun! We have selected a few great pieces for the Spring season that are sure to inspire people. This is such a great, fun way to get dressed and a fantastic alternative to the dress which has been such a strong piece for the past few seasons. Spring is truly the Romper’s time to shine!

JF: Colour!

JoshuaDAVID
4926 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 1H3
Canada
joshuadavid.ca
info@joshuadavid.ca
514.788.4436