Archive Montréal

“When I rented this space to open the boutique, my friends were telling me not to delude myself, that it was so far out of the shopping circuit that nobody would come,” says Sébastien Burns, co-owner of Boutique Archive. It is true that before 2010, the very idea of going to Villeray to find young, fresh and contemporary clothing brands seemed far-fetched. But in the years since then, boutiques and ateliers have sprouted up throughout the neighbourhood.

Sébastien and partner Myriam Granger have proved that their concept could not only appeal to the neighbourhood fashionistas, but also to an audience reaching beyond Canada, with coverage in international magazines like Monocle. At Archive, one will find many now-iconic contemporary brands, including Saint James, Eve Gravel, Penfield, Betina Lou, Herschel and Raen Optics. “We pay close attention to the history and philosophy of each brand we carry. Since this boutique reflects who we are, we want each item sold here to be part of that greater picture,” Sébastien explains.