shop local olivia leblanc montreal

Let Montreal Stylist Olivia LeBlanc Show You How to Live

Live local, shop local, surround yourself with beauty

It felt like fate. In the summer of 2017, Montreal stylist Olivia LeBlanc was sitting outside her favourite Mile End café, when she noticed the “modern, cool” building in front of her. She was looking for a place; she took down the address. Later that day, her agent sent her the same address and told her that one of the four condos was for sale. Within a week, the space belonged to LeBlanc and her daughter, Morgane, then 7.

“Sometimes you just have to jump in,” says LeBlanc now, laughing. “It was the first time I moved into a home with no partner. I felt so free and courageous to have done this big move, to grab the occasion, to live the dream I had.”

The dream meant putting in the time to make the space perfect. “When I bought the space, it looked a bit like an Ikea condo—lots of white and wood. I decided it was going to be totally my style, my vision.”

To bring that vision to life, LeBlanc turned to her friend, contractor and artisan Raphael Zweidler. The duo embarked on a total renovation, ripping up the floors to reveal heated concrete below and installing a custom nine-foot banquette in the dining room.

Montreal stylist Olivia LeBlanc
“Before quarantine, I never spent much time in my basement,” says LeBlanc. “It’s very cute, with a built-in banquette and sitting area, but I was happy upstairs. Now, Morgane and I spend so much time here! It’s so cozy with the red neon light. We hang out and watch movies—no pressure to be anything or do anything. It’s the perfect place to disconnect and have family time. I’ve been calling it our cottage!” Olivia wears an Eliza Faulkner dress, $350, premiereadresse.com

“We spent time in the house, understanding how Morgane and I would move through the space,” says LeBlanc. “I wanted it to feel very personal. In the kitchen, we did green marble counters that reminded me of my mother’s dining table when I was young.”

LeBlanc, Morgane and their rescue orange tabby, Gustave, moved in just before the holidays. “We had so much fun! We had little parties, invited people over for oysters—we didn’t have our dining room table yet, so people balanced plates on their knees on the banquette.” 

Olivia LeBlanc
A stylist for 15 years, Olivia LeBlanc counts Shopify, Simons and Aldo among her recent clients. She also works with personalities such as the rapper Loud and chanteuse (and Chanel muse) Charlotte Cardin, who LeBlanc just styled for her “Passive Aggressive” video. LeBlanc wears L.L.Y. Atelier knot silver ring, $186, coupled silver ring, $242, premiereadresse.com. 

This year, the holidays will look a little different, but certain traditions will endure: buying a Christmas tree in the park around the corner and carrying it back through the snowy streets; Christmas music on vinyl; a vintage ’50s Santa Claus that sits in the kitchen overlooking the preparation of seven-hour lamb gigot and spicy mezcal margaritas. 

“I love Christmas,” says LeBlanc, “but this has definitely been the hardest year. I want to use this time to slow down, spend time in the city I love and take care of myself and the people I love.”

LeBlanc says meditation, online Pilates classes and movie nights with Morgane help tremendously. Then there’s LeBlanc’s brand-new fashion project: Première Adresse, a creative shopping platform dedicated to showcasing Canadian designers and makers. “COVID made me feel like I wasn’t making a big enough change,” she explains.

“This magical and mystical fragrance of palo santo, lemongrass, lime and patchouli is inspired by the Californian desert,” says LeBlanc of these handmade-in-Montreal FOS candles. LeBlanc wears a Noemiah dress, $299, École de Pensée pants, $399, premiereadresse.com.

“I felt like we were all in this big circle where we go to Zara and need to have the trendiest pieces, and that just encourages these big brands. I’ve been a stylist for 15 years and even I felt like I didn’t know where to start if I wanted to shop local.” 

LeBlanc gathered a few trusted collaborators, including the photographer Royal Gilbert, and travelled to Île de la Madeleine near Prince Edward Island (where LeBlanc was born) to shoot the first campaign. 

“My strength is enhancing what is already great,” says LeBlanc, “and these designers are great. I don’t expect that people will be able to buy 100 per cent local for budget reasons, but I hope we can be a platform to showcase the talent that’s here.” 

In a similar local spirit, LeBlanc says her neighbourhood has made her “fall back in love” with Montreal: “You step out of your house and everything is here: bakeries, a butcher, all the best vintage shopping—very important for a stylist! I’m so proud to be a Montrealer and to create here. Creating my own space made me love the fact that I’m a city girl even more.”

Shop Olivia’s holiday wish list

shop local Montreal
olive + gourmando: the cookbook, $40, chapters.indigo.ca
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“The restaurant industry has had such a hard year. It’s nice to support by buying cookbooks as gifts.”

 

shop local wine Canada
meinklang kontakt orange wine, $22, saq.com
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“This wine is a hit for any occasion and not expensive! Also the bottle is cute.”

 

shop local jewellery
L.l.Y. Atelier ear cuff, $69, premiereadresse.com
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“Agathe who designs this wonderful jewellery line is always my go-to designer for all my photo shoots! 

 

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Ecole de Pensée sweater, $419, premiereadresse.com
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“The beauty of this lambswool sweater lies in its chunky knit.”

 

shop local fashion Canada
Iris Setlakwe scarf,$295, premiereadresse.com
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“Warm and elegant, this striped scarf made with alpaca wool is the perfect addition to any outfit.”

In the feature image, LeBlanc wears an Iris Setlakwe suit jacket, $495, premiereadresse.com. 

 

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