Deborah Richardson and Jessica Elliott are one of those mother-daughter teams that seem able to accomplish just about anything, and with the recent opening of the Velvet Room Boutique in the heart of Kerrisdale it’s clear they have put their respective skills to excellent use in creating a beautiful shopping destination with wide appeal.
Decorated in French provincial style with clean black and white tiled floors and feminine accents of purple and pink, the Velvet Room caters to a wide spectrum of shoppers ranging from – you guessed it – mothers to their daughters, and everyone in between.

Their superb collections are selected only from small production Canadian manufacturers like Mellinda-Mae Harlingten, Laura Presper and Scandal House, offering designs both classic enough for a woman in her 50′s and chic enough for her 25 year old daughter. Deborah explained that the response to the lines has been fantastic – mature women who are perhaps interested in dressing a bit more current feel reassured by the balance that this mother-daughter team offers, while younger shoppers are thrilled to see local lines in addition to designs hailing from Eastern Canada.
It is clear that both Deborah and Jessica are artists at heart: Deborah designs her own Coral Moon jewelery collection which she launched 2 years ago, Jessica is a trained make-up artist and theatre buff, and both women rightly gush over the striking paintings by Curtis Hoines adorning the boutique walls. But creativity isn’t their only forte; Deborah explains she has a knack for accounting and a strong business sense, while Jessica managed the Armani section within Harry Rosen for years and developed impeccable customer service and tailoring skills.
Their passion for the store and its place within Vancouver‘s fashion and retail community is evident, and when I spoke with Deborah and Jessica only 10 days after their official opening they already had a full calendar of events in store for their shoppers. Book your own Glam Night, where you and 5 friends can have the store to yourself for makeovers and private shopping, the ultimate ladies night. With a stocked vanity of Vasanti make-up and beauty products on hand, Jessica offers application and make-up tips to customers daily, but she’s also planning Makeup Bag Overhaul nights where women can bring in their own beauty supplies and learn how to use them properly or toss the old stuff for fresh, new products. How about Custom Jewellery Design nights, where you can work with Deborah to design your very own Coral Moon adornments? Or Holiday Hair and Make-up, where up-do’s and makeup techniques will be demonstrated? With so many “extracurricular” activities planned for their customers and community and a clear mission-statement to promote Canadian artists, Deborah and Jessica have cultivated a firm foundation as proprietors of fashion and lifestyle in Vancouver.

www.thevelvetroomboutique.com

2248 W 41^st

604.264.8664

INFAMOUS MAGAZINE, NOV 2007 ISSUE