SIMPLIQUE MODE

When Wendy Liu was looking for a name for her Kerrisdale shop, she wanted one that would capture its essence. She came up with the name simplique, which translates from French to simple-unique and added the word mode, which means style. Wendy feels this is the perfect representation of her brand and the overall West Coast vibe of her jewellery and fashion accessories boutique that opened in 2021.

Wendy has been passionate about fashion for as long as she can remember. When she was young, she aspired to be a fashion designer but found limited opportunities in Vancouver.

“I was raised in a single-parent household with no siblings, so it was always just my mom and me. She was my rock and fully supported my pursuits. I didn’t want to leave her or Vancouver, so I ended up attending UBC and focusing on business as my career path,” Wendy says.

After graduating, she entered the world of fashion retail with a small family-operated business with locations across Western Canada. Wendy was introduced to fashion merchandising and was fortunate to discover a career that united her interests. Eventually, she moved into other areas of the industry, like fashion wholesaling, distribution, and production, and delved a bit into design.

She says, “After a few years, I felt exhausted and decided to take a break and do something on my own, which led me to form this business.”

Wendy had always wanted to run her own business and played with a few concepts over the years. “I have done a bit of travelling and have always been obsessed with small jewellery and accessory shops. I noticed a number of these stores have exited the market in recent years, so there’s not a lot of options left locally.”

I’ve always loved Asian-inspired trends. When Korean trends started brewing during the past decade in North America, I knew it would be the perfect niche to get into.

The business began as a seasonal retail vendor in 2017 at local markets where Wendy sold jewellery and fashion accessories.

“I created an identity and branding for people to recognize the business down the line, and this is how Simplique Mode started. I wanted to focus on unique, effortless, uncomplicated, high-quality, affordable items that can last season after season.”

During the pandemic, Wendy came up with the idea of opening a pop-up shop and began looking for opportunities. She confesses that most people thought she was crazy.

“Opening a store selling products that were likely deemed non-essential in a time when things were up in the air probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I thought that if I waited until things returned to normal, I might not get the chance to do this. Soon after, I committed to the store’s location. My mom thought

Kerrisdale had great potential. When I was young, she owned a bakery for a little while in the Dunbar area, so there is a little bit of nostalgia attached.”

“Because we are still a very small new business, I work as much as possible in the store, along with a small team of two to three part-time staff, who are great and supportive. Working in the store allows me to get to know our customers, which is really important.”

I started my small business with my mom. She supported me along the way, so I consider it a mother-daughter business.

“My mom was everything to me, and I owe her so much. Unfortunately, she unexpectedly passed away last April, and this has been the most difficult time in my life. I never anticipated my mom not being here when we reached the store’s first-anniversary last summer.”

“The store’s concept has never changed, we still focus on jewellery and accessories, but I added lifestyle items to make it more of a gift destination.”

The majority of Simplique Mode’s products are produced in South Korea. The store carries a wide range of hypo-allergenic and nickel-free fashion jewellery, hats, scarves, bags, hair accessories, eyewear, footwear, and some unique accessories from Japan. In addition, Wendy has also introduced artisanal gift and lifestyle products to complement the store’s collection.

New to the store this spring, and based on customers’ requests, Wendy will introduce fashion apparel to tie in with accessories.

“Many small local makers don’t have retail exposure, so I want to share this space with them. I’m always amazed and inspired by local artisans, so I chose a selection of unique gifts that go with our brand.”

Wendy says, “A lot of my customers are mother-daughter duos. When I see the joy our store brings to them, it reminds me of shopping with my mom when I was young. The business represents the bond and moments between us; without her encouragement and unwavering support, I’d probably never have made it this far.”

Simplique Mode

2356 W 41st Avenue Vancouver, BC V6M 2A4

Phone 604-800-3059

www.simpliquemode.com

Story by Sarah Gordon, April 2023