Boutique Monique is the brainchild of Monique Nanton, a former graphic designer and art director who has been an avid clothing collector for over 20 years. Since her high school days in the 1980’s, Monique has been browsing thrift shops for unique clothing and storing many of her found items as collectables.
“I just collected things. I didn’t even know why,” says Monique. “It wasn’t even necessarily for me because I bought things that were not even my size. I just liked them. I looked at them as art. I just kept them and thought, ‘One day I’m going to do something with them.’ I didn’t exactly know what.”
Monique’s clothing stash and skill-set serendipitously came together in 2011 when she opened up shop on St. Clair West — a neighbourhood where she grew up and lives now. Her background in merchandising, styling, sewing and tailoring have all become unexpected boons to running her own business.
