If you haven’t wandered into Picturesque, you should definitely make a point to do so when business is up and running again.
Highly recommended.
This cozy & chic boutique embraces you through a whirlwind of fashion that you wouldn’t otherwise find in another clothing store.
It all started with a casual lunch date.
Carole Fox-Keats was dining with her sister, Peggy, and a few close friends. At the time, Peggy was in the midst of launching Perfect Piece Optical. Somewhere during the conversation, Carole recalls mentioning that she might be interested in opening a boutique. Her offhand remark went without notice.
“It was right after that, we ran in to Carlo,” she recalls. “Almost immediately, he recommended I open a ladies clothing store. It just seemed too coincidental.”
It wasn’t long before the idea started to really spark excitement and it become all Carole could focus on.
“My neighbour bought me a book on how to open a boutique. I read every single page and ticked off all the check marks along the way.” Carole points out, remembering how dedicated she was. “Next thing I knew, I had a clothing store.”
The difficult (and fun) part was coming up with a unique name.
Carole, along with her husband and many friends, went back and forth on so many suggestions. Nothing seemed to properly suit the style she was seeking.
“I was dining with my husband,” she tells us. “He had made a few suggestions, none of which I liked, and I remember saying, ‘I just want something picturesque!’”
That was it.
The name had been chosen.
The store opened six months later in a back room of Perfect Piece Optical and although it was a fabulous place to launch her business, it was not a ideal place to continue.
“I wasn’t able to have a sign advertising and the space ultimately became too small for our vision of expansion.”
Carole was faced with two options; close or expand.
She wanted to grow her business as she had put so much time and effort in. Collapse was not an option.
It was then that the Reptile Guy location on Main Street went up for lease.
Upon inspection, they found the place dismal and unappealing. The earth tones and original design allowed minimal space to envision a beautiful clothing boutique moving in.
She forced herself to stand still… slow everything down… breath deeply… take everything in and let her imagination work its magic.
She allowed herself to picture her dream coming true.
A few walls knocked out, a splash of paint and some tender loving care brought Carole to where she is today.
Picturesque has been in their current location for two years now and has received praise from not only the ladies of Mission, but from all over the Fraser Valley.
Carrying lines such as Frank Lyman, Katherine Barkley and Bella Amore was what caught Joseph Ribcoff team’s eye and gave them reason to approach Picturesque.
“They told me that my store was a perfect fit for their line.”
We have come to know Picturesque as the place to indulge in the finer things in life. A place where fashion meets fun. This is the place to go to feel pampered and ‘picturesque.’
They take pride in dressing you up with the latest fashions and have designs that cater to a variety of ages and an assortment of body types.
The real challenges face the boutique now, but Carole is determined to remain positive. With a smile on her face, she looks forward to welcoming lovely ladies through her front door once again.
“For now, we offer gift certificates and are working by appointment only, adhering to all social distancing rules. Our private fashion parties will be back up and running soon.”
Carole’s advice to the community is to keep a smile on your face because it does actually lighten the load and brighten the day.
I think we can all agree that smiles are always in fashion.