Art Beyond The Gallery: Toronto’s Nouveau Riche Vintage
A major “wow” moment at Nouveau Riche Vintage in Toronto: A large stretched Barbara Brown textile.
I’ve been a fan and customer of Nouveau Riche Vintage, the retail/rental archive business of former arts worker Andréa Lalonde, for quite a few years. It was dangerous when Nouveau Riche’s space was across the street from where I used to live. I’d pop by to chat about the lost art of vintage clothing label design, and union manufacturing in Canada, and usually leave with some very groovy garments. We’d also talk about our favourite runway collections, and I was even asked to speak alongside stylist and director Vanessa Magic at a soirée held at Nouveau Riche; I talked about my most potent catwalk moment, the Prada Spring 1997 collection.
I have a pair of the leather-floral embellished platform shoes from that collection that I’ve coveted since it was released – they sit on a shelf in the bedroom, rarely worn because I want to preserve them if only for my own pleasure. And Andréa and the crowd she attracts are well-attuned to this fashion freak frequency and are often creatives themselves. I love that her space highlights unique finds with inclusivity in mind, and that she’s just as passionate about teaching people about the history of fashion as she is about making someone feel amazing in her wares.
On one of my last visits to Nouveau Riche Vintage, I was extra aware of the art in the ample address at 15 Adrian that the business currently calls home. In particular, a grand monochromatic work by British textile designer Barbara Brown; a contemporary of one of my favourite artists of all time, Bridget Riley.
Andréa and I discussed Brown’s piece, and the other bold works accentuating the displays of glorious rare vintage finds, for a while. And I felt it was fitting to start a new series about shopping destinations with fabulous art collections by featuring Andréa’s space! And what better timing than just before Nouveau Riche hosts the Ottawa-based Canadian design-focused retailer Victoire for a pop-up this weekend?
Read on to learn more about what art and fashion you’ll find at Nouveau Riche Vintage.
Tell me about your background in arts work.
I studied at NSCAD University in Halifax in the late ‘90s, and for the twenty years that followed, I worked in museums and galleries; mostly in education and community arts programs. I was a teacher and guide at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, and Oakville galleries among others.
And where does fashion fit into your trajectory?
My background is contemporary art, but I have always been obsessed with craft and design processes, including in fashion. While I love following fashion (like some follow sports) I'm weary of the industry for various reasons – inclusivity and labour practices among them.
I have always bought vintage and collected it. Selling clothes became a side project between gallery contracts through pop-ups and events. I often tried to really keep it separate, and kind of hid this practice from my art world. But the worlds kept colliding and now I realize artists are often my ideal clients for their interest in exploring interesting new combinations, dressing for expression, and also the conversations and connections we get to have. I get to dress so many curators and artists I admire, and they share the curiosity and excitement for interesting clothes.
Describe the Nouveau Riche space, and why it's important for you to have original art.
The space I'm in is a large industrial complex. It was formerly a photo studio, and I use part of it for my product photography and to collaborate with photographers. But I have kept the space so it can be flexible and multi-functional; half of it houses my rental archive, and the other half is the retail portion where I welcome people.
A lot of the artworks in Nouveau Riche are things that I have collected personally that inform my sensibility and reflect my art background, and in this current space I am putting more of my own collections on display; even if not to sell, I can allow these objects to generate conversations and pique curiosity. This way I get to keep being that museum educator – I will also share my interest in fashion and garment history with anyone who is willing to listen!
“Artists are often my ideal clients because of their interest in exploring interesting new combinations, dressing for expression, and also the conversations and connections we get to have.” - Andréa Lalonde, Nouveau Riche Vintage
Tell us about some of the art pieces we see in Nouveau Riche.
The art from my friend Dottie [seen above and below] was part of many years of collaborating together for pop-ups. Dottie often made work informed by our shared fascination and conversations about fashion legends such as the illustrator Antonio Lopez.
I love the overlaps in art and fashion, and of course queer culture which also is a big part of my space and who I am. The print of the poodles by General Idea, was gifted to me by Geoff and John who own the vintage art business Top Drawer. The General Idea: Editions 1967–1995 show, which had been originally at Blackwood Gallery, was one of the first big exhibitions I worked on as a gallery assistant; it was also when I was really coming into my own queerness and it really had an impact on me to be around so many queer multiples. General Idea also represent, to me, the coming together and blurring of the lines between commerce, product and art.
The large blue textile piece at the front of Nouveau Riche is probably what most people notice first and covet. It’s a stretched piece of yardage of this wonderful wavy OP art print by British artist Barbara Brown. It’s from 1969 and it’s called Frequency. It’s a wonderful decorative piece that sets the tone in the space, but Brown is also an intriguing, museum-held artist who was influenced by machinery and Brutalist architecture. She wanted to be a sculptor, but like many women of the time, was told she had to be a textile designer. I love that you can still feel a three dimensionality in the work she was making. It was like she was doing what she was told, but still getting her way? We love a bold and defiant woman!
It’s a truly exceptional textile work and everyone needs to see it! Other than that, why are you excited about this weekend's pop-up with Victoire and the Studio Sale?
I really admire Régine and Katie, who own Victoire; they’re in their nineteenth year of running an independent fashion business with a brick-and-mortar location, championing and selling Canadian design. I have wanted to collaborate with them for ages, so hosting them is an honour. And it really is the moment to combine vintage and Canadian! While many folks have been shopping this way for a long time, with the recent tariff threats and the increasing scrutiny of fast fashion manufacturing practices, we are seeing many more people really make an effort to shop this way. For this weekend, Nouveau Riche and Victoire have created a one-stop sustainable shop, and there’s going to be so much great clothing and wonderful people.
And if eight racks of Canadian design, and over 15 racks of vintage in my studio is not enough, the rest of my wonderful building will have many studios with open doors and fun workshops and sales happening. Many of the studios are rarely open to the public, so it’s a chance to meet artists and makers and see what the other spaces at Bradshaw Studios look like!
Participating studios include Alchemy Pickle and Kombucha, New Moon Cookies, Owl and Goose Juice, Matter Company Natural Products, Bully Boy Lingerie, Soft Skills Sewing Studios, Tuff Cat Tattoo, Amanda Moss Clothing, Loom Weaving Studio, Fitzy Design, Dagg and Stacey, Paperhood studios and more.
The Victoire and Vintage Rendezvous Pop-up runs from Friday, May 30th until Sunday, June 1st.
