Déjà vu, no thank you
Ofélia boutiques were only a project simmering in the mind of Daniel Gaudreau when the relationship between the entrepreneur and LemayMichaud was born. What made them connect: their shared desire to do things differently, always.Daniel Gaudreau, CEO of Eurostyle, a major player in the fashion industry and one of Canada’s largest importers and distributors of European ready-to-wear collections, wanted to create a new multi-brand boutique concept. A boutique that would offer a unique experience, personalized to its customers and that would not resemble any other. It was precisely because of this singularity that he reached out to LemayMichaud.
“Daniel found that the design of all the shops were similar, and he wanted to stand out by offering a new shopping experience. He knew that our services and fields of activity were very diverse, and that we always strived to make people feel comfortable in our designed spaces. He wanted a welcoming place, and was convinced that we would be sensible to this requirement,” says Louise Dupont, designer and partner at LemayMichaud.
“What made them connect: their shared desire to do things differently, always.”
The firm therefore participated to the birth of Ofélia, starting with the development of its first store in Quartier DIX30, then by contributing to the design of the brand’s image as well as the creation of the logo. ” It was awesome for us to build a complete brand! As was the case for the store, Daniel wanted the image to be unique. Our relationship was rapidly fruitful because he is very receptive to new ideas. Plus, he is very attentive to detail, quality, beauty … He’s a perfect client! says Dupont laughing.
The adventure on de la Montagne
Daniel Gaudreau, seeing a demand for his new concept in downtown Montreal, wanted to open another boutique where he would move the collections of the four existing stores, present at Ogilvy for more than twenty-five years. He wanted to open another store, this time in downtown Montreal.The guideline was the same: create a place that was both inviting and with a high-end feel, to showcase his clothes and stylish accessories. The round of visits of premises began, and it is on de la Montagne Street that he and Mrs. Dupont fell in love with a space … under wintery gusts of wind.
“It was the first snowstorm of the year, remembers Louise Dupont. I soon guessed that there was a courtyard, but we could not see it because everything was walled in. I said to Daniel: “It would be great if we could window the back of the room to see outside.” We decided to investigate. It was quite epic: we had to go through another premises, then go out on a shaky footbridge; our lashes were full of snow, it was windy, it was slippery … But in the end, we realized that we could concretize this idea.”
The view on the inner courtyard through large windows completely changes the dynamics of the space. “It invites the customers to go to the back of the shop by walking towards the light, in addition to giving a little SoHo cachet! Another element that contributes to the welcoming aspect of the place: the central cash counter, which is as unifying as a kitchen island.
Today, the adventure continues in the same spirit. Along with LemayMichaud's team, Daniel Gaudreau continues to think “outside the box” with each new project. “Together, we challenge ourselves to start fresh each time, highlighting the characteristics of the space to maximize its potential,” says Louise Dupont.
Déjà vu? Not for them.
