Sarnia’s Christina Quek Slipacoff has many passions in life, but two that have always been ever present have been an undying love of fashion and a fondness for shopping.
The transplanted Torontonian has always carried a torch for chic, contemporary clothing and says she used to spend countless hours gazing through the windows of some of Toronto’s swankiest stores, checking out the latest and greatest in fashion when she lived in that city.
„Back in my Toronto days I worked downtown so every chance I got – whether I was walking to the subway or going to Yorkville – I was window shopping all the time,” she said, smiling. „I am a definitely what you’d call a shopaholic.”
When Quek Slipacoff moved to Lambton County a few years ago, she bumped into a kindred spirit, Leanne Andali, who not only shared her passion for fashion, but also a predilection for entrepreneurship. The pair quickly came to the conclusion they wanted to bring in a bit of haute couture to Sarnia, but also versatile, functional and fashionable clothes that could be worn by women at all stages of their lives.
„Leanne and I really love fashion – the variety, the way you can dress to your mood and how much fun you can have with it,” she said. „One of our favourite shops was Forever 21. But as time has gone by and we grew older, we’ve both changed and so has our fashion sense. The type of clothes we wear now has definitely changed, but we still want to be fashionable and stylish. And that’s really hard to find these days.
„There are some very nice, very cute shops in Sarnia where we shop, but we thought that there was a little bit of a lack in the market, especially at a certain price point where you can keep up with trends,” Quek Slipacoff continued. „Being in Sarnia, and with Sarnia being a border city with great access to suppliers in the States, we decided to take a look at changing that.”
So, the enterprising pair high waist bodyshaper put their heads together earlier this year and came up with a business plan for a e commerce clothing store by the name of Lace Charm. With an easy to navigate, visually appealing website, a wide selection of colourful, contemporary, California inspired fashions for women of all ages and ambitious plans for the future, the dapper duo launched their online business in May.
