Historic Gastown is one of the Top 10 Places to Shop in Vancouver, for good reason: it's one of the hippest, most stylish shopping destinations in the city. Home to some of the best high-end, independent fashion boutiques in Vancouver, Gastown is a fashion hot-spot as well as the epicentre for Vancouver interior design.
Use this Gastown Shopping Guide to find the best stores for interior design and home decor, local fashion, ultra-hip menswear, First Nations art, antiques and collectibles.
1. Interior Design, Furniture & Home Accessories
Image Courtesy of Gastown Blog
If you love contemporary home decor, furniture and design, Gastown is the place to shop. The epicentre of interior design in Vancouver, Gastown is home to several internationally-acclaimed design stores--the stand-out being Inform Interiors, owned by Niels Bendtsen. Bendtsen designed the Ribbon chair, which was accepted into the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Gastown Shopping Guide: Best Interior Design, Furniture & Home Decor
2. Stylish Local & Independent Fashion
Photo by Christina Lanteigne / Gastown Blog
Along with Main Street, Gastown is the destination for independent, local or designed-in-Vancouver fashion. Gastown's independent fashion boutiques are more plentiful and varied than Main Street, but they are also more expensive. Gastown fashion tends to be high-end; for example, Obakki's celebrity clients include Gwyneth Paltrow.
Gastown Shopping Guide: Best Independent & Local Fashion
3. Ultra-hip Fashion for Men
Photo © Inventory Stockroom / Inventory Magazine
Vancouver is packed with fabulous fashion for women, but equally creative and luxe goods for men are sadly scarce. Aside from the mainstream Robson Street, Gastown is the only Vancouver fashion destination that's as good for men as it is for women.
Gastown Shopping Guide: Fashion for Men
4. First Nations Art
Image Courtesy of Coastal Peoples Fine Art Gallery
As a historic district, Gastown's cobbled streets and gorgeous architecture make it a tourist destination, which means art galleries that cater to both locals and visitors looking for a piece of the Pacific Northwest to take home with them!
Gastown Shopping Guide: First Nations Art
5. Antiques & Curios
Image Courtesy of Gastown Blog
Many of Gastown's oldest shops are antique stores. While the packed-to-the-rafters Salmagundi West is probably one of the most famous, there are several hole-in-the wall curio shops just waiting to be rifled through by antique-lovers searching for a great find!
Gastown Shopping Guide: Best Antique Stores
