Every few months, Montreal boutiques and independent sellers come together to put their wares up for sale in a collaborative three-day shopping party. Shopping collective OldWIG is hosting the special event this coming weekend at Bain Mathieu, a refurbished swimming pool dating back to the thirties. The repurposed space comes complete with bar and sound system and each evening will feature a different DJ. The event is free and includes creative cocktails and tasty appetizers generously proffered by vintage-garbed waiters.
The OldWIG collective truly brings together a wide range of vintage retailers. You can find $3 acid-wash jeans next to a beaded evening gown that could cost you your lunch money for the semester. OldWIG’s focus is on clothing, jewelry, and accessories, but the sale will also feature a home decor section, as well as a magazine stand. There are over thirty participants, including suppliers of Mile End boutiques Local 23 and Lost & Found. The clothing is beautifully displayed, and retailers are on hand to eagerly answer any questions you may have.
This year’s edition will also feature an art exhibit, My Old Sweater + Me, bringing together twenty sweaters and twenty artists, including famous Canadian figures such as Urbania editor-in-chief Catherine Perreault and producer Anne-Marie Losique. Artists will exhibit their favourite sweater accompanied by distinctive, quirky histories. There will also be a beauty kiosk with professional hair stylists as well as a lounge areas.
Organizers are expecting a high turnout this weekend, as over a thousand attended the first edition last year. Judging by its burgeoning success, OldWIG will be around for a time to come as it makes a name for itself on the Montreal vintage scene.
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The OldWIG sale runs this Thursday through Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m. You can find Bain Mathieu at 2915 Ontario, near Frontenac metro. Entrance is free every night.