Your Best Access to Accessories: Trove Celebrates First Anniversary in Annex
By Suzan Bianchi The Annex Gleaner
July 2003
Even after a year of praise from fashion lovers and the Toronto media alike, Trove is still referred to as "Toronto's best kept secret" or "Toronto's hidden treasure." Fact is, Trove is foremost in the minds of style-savvy fashionistas around town, and has become an Annex accessories hot spot.
Owner Carolyn Eby attributes her success to being passionate about what she sells and where she sells it. The little shop with character is flourishing in a neighbourhood full of character.
"Our first year has been every exciting," exclaims Eby. "There has been so much community support and interest. The Annex has been great for us."
By "us" she's referring to her mother and co-owner, Barbara Scriver.
Trove took two years of planning for the mother-daughter team. One thing they knew from the beginning was the appeal of the Annex.
Having lived here, Eby knew the creative spirit that was abundant in her neighbourhood. Given the community's open-mindedness for
design and fashion, Eby now realized that, "my store could not exist in many other neighbourhoods."
This community appreciation for art, especially for handmade pieces by local talent, is a natural fit for Eby and Sriver. Scriver, a musician, artist and cabinet-maker by trade, has passed on her love of the art to her daughter. After graduating from York University, Eby found herself drawn to her first love: jewellery and fashion. Trove is simply an extension of that love.
Accessories have an appeal that goes beyond clothes. Clothes are used to cover the body; accessories, on the other had, are purely ornamental and decorative. "People leave the store happy and excited about what they just bought," explains Eby. "They leave the store wearing art."
And the lines carried by Eby are true examples of artistic adornment. Your Sister's Moustache, a line out of New York, offers handbags made from recycled paper. These sturdy bags are made from pages from old magazines, newspapers and even from an old high-school yearbook. One favorites is a Rolling Stone cover from March 1987, with the subscriber mailing-label intact.
Fantastic, playful belts from Toronto's Barbie's Basement Jewellery are also available. These belts have fun colourful buckles depicting idols and icons from the past, such as James Dean. They have a nostalgic appeal but are truly modern.
For more conservative tastes, the Jennifer Scott line of high-end handbags is also available. These bags, made of the softest leather with interesting detailing, are signature pieces for the Montreal husband-and-wife team. The elegance of these bags is contrasted by the more artistic bags of Lucia Kinghorn. Her ornamental bags are truly one-of-a-kind handmade originals-some sporting little stuffed birds as decoration.
Eby's emphasis on artistic value is everywhere in Trove. She continuously highlights local talent by exhibiting photography or other media on her walls. And, about every months, she hosts a theme night where her customers can meet the artists and get to know their craft. On June 12, Eby hosted an evening of amber and showcased Baltic Bijoux pieces by another Annex resident, Ania Daleszynska.
Daleszynska not only imports Baltic amber, she works and consults with European designers to create high-quality, one-of-a-kind pieces. Daleszynska was attracted by Trove's windows and approached Eby with her line. The timing couldn't have been better: Eby was waiting for an amber line that fit the Trove philosophy and direction.
"People are drawn to Ania's jewellery because there is so much attention paid to design and presentation," explains Eby. "It's selling beautifully and very quickly," she adds.
Eby herself is drawn to the warmth and diversity of the stone.
Daleszynska says that the Annex is an ideal place for her line. "Amber is warm, soulful, organic and natural," she says, "Very much like women in the Annex." The Baltic Bijoux line is breaking through the traditional approach taken with amber. Amber is often thought of as something your grandmother would wear, but Daleszynska's line is full of surprises. She attributes the popularity of her pieces with Trove clients to Eby's fondness for handmade jewellery with a real art appeal, and her good taste. "I'm not selling just amber, I'm selling art! That's what Ania's line is all about," adds Eby, returning the compliment.
Showcasing local talent makes Eby as happy as the accessories with which she surrounds herself. Even the items used to display her items are handcrafted. Handbags sit on beautiful cabinets made by her mother, Barbara Scriver. Belts hang off an intricate iron stand built by Kaz Brandt - a Toronto firefighter by day, ironworker by night. He also adapted the Trove logo for metal-art that decorates the door.
And outside the store, the windows at Trove always get tons of attention. Eby is amazed by Ingrid Szymkoviak's window displays, which are always full of character. "Ingrid's displays sell as much as the store's staff!" she admits.