Boutique U&I

General information

From it’s beginning as a tiny downtown shop, to its current status as a nationally recognized fashion destination, Boutique U&I has steadily earned its reputation as one of Montréal’s most innovative fashion boutiques.

History

Boutique U&I first opened for business on Nov 16, 1997 at 1432 MacKay Street, a small store off the beaten path of downtown. Focusing on women’s denim and easy to wear fashion, the store quickly gained popularity among the area’s downtown crowd and student set.
Following the remarkable success of the store on Mackay, founder and buyer Eric Toledano saw bigger things for his little shop, and in 2001, U&I moved to it’s current location at 3650 St. Laurent blvd. With it’s new hip location and exposure to all of the traffic driving down the main, the store became known not only for it’s original clothing selection, but also for the boutique’s gorgeous interior. The new store was designed to highlight the unique old charm of it’s location, a beautiful century old building. It featured exposed brick walls and antique tin ceilings, contrasted with more modern elements such as industrial metal and glass fixtures. This striking balance between old and new elements led to the store being awarded the prestigious Commerce Design Montréal 2002 grand Jury prize.
Not just content with the success he was having with women’s wear, Eric decided to expand U&I’s vision to include menswear as well. On Nov 16, 2002, exactly five years after the opening of the original store on Mackay, U&I Homme opened in the space adjacent to the women’s store (3652 St. Laurent), and has since gone on to become one of the premier men’s shopping destinations in the city. U&I also recently opened a second location in Old Montreal, 215 St. Paul west, further cementing their presence in Montreal's fashion scene.

Innovation

For the past 12 years, Boutique U&I has made it a mandate to educate their clientele. Firstly, by getting the Montréal market to first accept, and finally embrace premium denim and sportswear lines. The store was the first in Montréal to sell Seven jeans, and found an appreciative audience for lines such as Paper Denim, Levi’s red, A.P.C and ACNE.

From there, U&I introduced it’s clientele to original hand-made and couture-like pieces such as Cydwoq shoes, Chie Mihara shoes, and the work of talented local designers like Renata Morales, Yso and Denis Gagnon.

Eventually, the boutique began to entice many into the world of conceptual design, exposing Montrealers to the innovative collections of Vivienne Westwood, Martin Margiela, Cloak by Alexandre Plokhov, Comme des Garçons, and Junya Watanabe.

Today, the boutique has become synonymous with the best in contemporary fashion for both Men and Women, showcasing fashion collections and Heritage brands from Europe, Japan, the USA and Canada.

Philosophy

Buyer Eric Toledano has carefully edited the boutiques collections over the years to cater to his clients needs, and to further develop their taste levels. He believes that there is a dialogue between art and fashion, one which he addresses in his buying each season. It is the message of intelligent fashion, a meeting place for expression and individuality, that has motivated him to cultivate a following for what can only be described as the very best of modern prêt à porter.