We visited the first ever retail location of Lifetime Collective at 4386 Main St. yesterday with company founders Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming. The new 800 sqft. shop – formerly Abe’s Furniture – will showcase ‘Lifetime Collective Men’s’ and ‘Uniform Standard by Lifetime’ Holiday 2013 collections, a selection from their ‘Lifetime Collective Women’s’ Fall/Winter 2013 line, along with a curated selection of magazines, books and housewares (including a ceramic mug collaboration by local Lindsey Hampton). The address will also house the company’s head office.

On opening night (tonight), the space – aka “Little Mountain Workshop” – will see cedar planters given life by our good friends at Victory Gardens, flanking window displays showcasing new wares, a modular feature wall (engineered by Trevor), mural works by Mark Warren Jacques, a photography installation by Jennilee Marigomen, a live musical performance by Reuben Bullock, and good times galore.

The brand, which has been in existence since 2002, started off – in a basement suite – as a collaborative group of artists and friends designing t-shirts for Vancouver’s skateboarding and snowboarding scenes. Today, they design clothes from head to toe for men and women around the world, all while maintaining the same collaborative ethos that drove them to where they are today. “We always wanted to have a shop but the circumstances never permitted,” says Stewart, who was also happy to show us (and share) lovely bottles of Lifetime’s collaboration with Tofino Brewing Company (label by Mark Warren Jacques).

Considering Lifetime’s success, they could have opened just about anywhere, so it’s great to see them right in their own wheelhouse, in a neighbourhood that several of their collaborators call home.

Opening hours will be 11am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, and Sunday 12-5pm. We wish them well.

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