For Hajnalka Mandula, it's all about the details - from the turn of the century desk (found after 4 months of tireless searching) to the Victorian era shoe buttons adorning tailored vests, to the sepia-toned photograph of her grandparents (look for it near the dressing room) - everything is meticulously chosen to fit her vision. The Mandula flagship store at 214 Abbott St in Gastown truly gives visitors a glimpse into the inspiration behind the clothing line.

It is this need for the perfectly designed environment that keeps Hajnalka from retailing in other boutiques. While she is considering opening up an LA flagship store within the next year, she maintains (and I agree) that in order to fully appreciate the aesthetic of any collection, it must be experienced in the designer's environment, represented by those who know it best.

Just before BC Fashion Week, I had a chance to sit down with Hajnalka and chat about her new collection, plans for the future and catch up on what she's been doing since the last time I saw her - almost two years ago! The visit was precipitated by a rather random occurrence - I wandered into the store a few days prior, intrigued by the gorgeously dressed mannequin in her window. I meant to stop in and say hello - but Hajnalka wasn't there, so I figured I'd just have a quick peek.

That's not really the random part. You see, two days earlier, I'd been stung on the neck by a bee, on my birthday , while sitting at my desk at work. Flash forward 48 hours and I'm looking through the racks at Mandula when all of a sudden OW! I get stung by a massive wasp that just happens to love her clothing as much as I do, and isn't willing to share! Luckily I'm a big girl and I can handle it - but when I finally caught up with her a day or two later, we definitely had a good laugh about the whole situation - and at least a few glasses of champagne.

It's hard to imagine a space more suited to house Mandula's designs, but its been just three short months since she packed up shop and moved from her light and airy Yaletown space into this heritage building - a former saloon in the heart of Gastown. While she's fallen in love with her new location, Hajnalka admits that the transition hasn't always been an easy one. In fact, if her former building hadn't been sold for redevelopment, she'd most likely still be in Yaletown. Given three days notice before Christmas, the workers were boarding up her windows during the rush of the holiday shopping season (and if you know Mandula you know how much care she puts into her window displays). With no choice but to move, she paid one last tearful midnight visit to her space, armed with a video camera, to capture it on tape before everything was gone for good.

The search for a new storefront was on, and the story is almost too serendipitous to be true. One day a homeless man named Alex stopped in her doorway and mentioned that he'd always enjoyed her window displays and would be sad to see them go. The got into a conversation about her impending move, and she asked if he'd keep an eye out for any buildings available in Gastown. Alex left with a twenty dollar bill in his pocket, and returned the very next day, with a list of buildings in Gastown up for lease. Surprised and elated, Hajnalka phoned the very first number on the list - which just happened to be a space that she'd had her eye on for a while, across from her alma mater, Helen LeFeaux. She met up with the owners that same day, laid claim to the space, and began a very long four months of renovations and interior design. But it was all worth it in the end, as she's distilled it into a true essence of her personality and her artistry.


The FW08 collection is gorgeous, consisting of hand-tailored, recycled vintage clothing in soft shades of cream and grey with rich tones of navy and black. I fell in love with the oversized, asymmetrical shirts made from vintage menswear button-downs, as well as the sweetly sexy little white shorts, made from vintage cashmere. There are so many beautiful details in Mandula's work, every single piece in each season's collection has something special that makes it (and its wearer) stand out from the crowd. These are statement pieces - but not in a brash, overbearing way. With a European aesthetic and a subtle yet stunning sense of quirky style, every Mandula piece is truly a work of wearable art.

Hajnalka is one of the growing number of local designers who are really pushing this city to aim higher in its fashion aspirations. Leading by example, these innovators give myself and the rest of the fashion community a taste of what Vancouver could become. She and I both see the potential that's bubbling here, and hope that we and the rest of the forward-thinkers can join forces to shift people's perspectives and encourage them to think (and dress) outside the box. In the 3 years that I've been covering fashion in this city, I've seen gradual changes, slowly but surely....little bitty baby steps towards a bright future. And so long as we have artists like Mandula who continue to make Vancouver their home base, we are well on our way.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This piece has been a long time in coming...has suffered the loss of my interview notebook amid the mad rush of BCFW, a frantic and unfruitful search, and finally a resignation to write the article from memory (hence the lack of direct quotes). I wanted to post this before her official store opening (which was tonight, incidentally) - but am out of the country and with only sporadic internet access. My apologies! And best wishes to Hajnalka, hope the party went well :) xo

Photo credit to demicouture.ca.