How you do anything is how you do everything
Trouping with Trish: owner of Ewanika, one of my favorite stores in Toronto
Ewanika is one of my favorite stores in Toronto. A multi-brand boutique owned by Trish Ewanika.
The store is 26 years old. An extraordinary feat.
She carries brands like Extreme Cashmere, Lauren Manoogian, Sophie Buhai, and Lemaire to name a few. She also carries the ‘hard to get’ magazines (hard to get in Toronto at least) like Gentlewoman and Unconditional. It’s also where I discover new brands like Chez Dede and Julie Cohn Ruth.
What truly makes this store special is the owner, Trish. She has impeccable taste and an incredible depth of knowledge about every brand she carries. She’ll tell you exactly what makes each one unique, where she discovered it, and why she handpicked those specific pieces. Trish is just one of those people who seems to effortlessly be in the know, without ever trying.
Her passion for it all is completely contagious. I remember one time, while visiting the store, I picked up a silk scarf and suddenly found myself hanging on to every word as Trish shared the story behind the brand. A husband-and-wife duo—one Italian, the other French-Italian. She’s a photographer, he’s an artist. I mean, how can you not fall head over heels for a story like that?
I’ve never really done something like this before, but I couldn’t shake the urge to interview her. Trish is well-known in Toronto, but I knew the global troupe community would love hearing from her.
I also had the urge to borrow my husband’s camera and try my hand at artsy photos to accompany the interview… I’ll spare you all the blurry, dark shots I ended up with.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much I did putting it together. I also just want to note that when Trish emailed me back her answers, this is what she prefaced with. And it embodies her so well!
‘Hi Reva, oof, not enough hours in my day but I leave for paris shortly so wanted to get this to you. I got going with a sheet pan of sweet roasted potato fries and a glass of prosecco. and gosh I couldn't stop.’
oof!
Grab some frites and a glass of prosecco and let’s get to it!
on the store
How would you describe your clientele? independent, curious, travelled, well read
(reva’s note: just the kind of person I have always wanted to be. teach me the ways)