Boomie Vintage is a store tucked away inside a charming brick building in the Junction Triangle with only a small A-frame sign to indicate its location.

But inside the first floor of a quaint little Toronto townhouse you'll find sustainably curated goods hand-picked with love.

Owner Meria Silva has been in the vintage game for many years. Starting her journey in Brazil working in fashion marketing and PR she felt the need for change which is when she decided to move to New York. 

In New York, her perspective shifted and she found herself out of harmony with the fashion community. She didn't keep up with the big brands and wanted to focus more on sustainability. 

Collecting piles of clothes on top of clothes in her tiny New York apartment she decided to do her first ever market and opened a Depop account under the name Boomie Vintage. That's when her love for vintage started to flourish. 

Upon moving to Toronto, she brought the business with her. Doing what she knew best she started by showing her business at pop-up markets in the city. 

Toronto Hippie Market kick started Silva's journey into the Toronto thrift community. "I was doing markets one to two times a week in a parking lot on Dundas West and the community of it all was mind-blowing," says Silva. 

Although Silva was new to Toronto she luckily found community and companionship through the customers that visited her booth and the other vendors who showcased their unique finds alongside her. 

Community was an important factor for Silva when getting into all things vintage. Through finding community it gave her the extra push she needed to finally open a shop of her own.

Silva opened Boomie Vintage three and half years ago during the pandemic in the heart of the Junction Triangle.

Walking into the shop I was greeted immediately with a boast of colourful garments, shoes, and accessories galore. 

Silva has made an effort in curating a shop that has something for everyone, "it's really beautiful, we have groups of friends come in and mothers and daughters who shop together, I feel with that I can happily say I've curated a shop that anyone can enjoy," says Silva. 

Boomie doesn't focus on specific eras or aesthetics when it comes to the clothes that fill up the store. Fabrics, textures, colours, longevity, and sustainability is what's on Boomie's checklist when curating the shop. 

Sustainability is an important factor for Silva when it comes to running a vintage shop. Creating a full-circle lifestyle for garments vs. letting them get thrown in landfills or ending up at the back of someones closet for years, is a large priority in the way Silva runs her business. 

As important as finding community in vintage was for Silva when she arrived in Toronto, she makes an active effort to keep that initiative in the way she runs her business. 

Boomie Vintage has opened its doors to other vintage collectors in the city that fit their morals, value, and overall vibe, with the goal to be able to showcases their great vintage finds as well.

A vintage seller from Peru under the name SHOPFROMMARS, Jacobelli Finds, and Rescued Bears, can currently be found with pieces scattered around the store.

Implementing a collaborative working environment, there was no need to hire external employees. Any day you head into the store you can find one of the vendors holding down the fort.

My favourite part of community that Silva has implemented in the store is her love for local art. 

If you head to the back most left of the store you will find a secret hallway that is home to the cutest hidden gallery showcasing a local artists work. 

As I turned the corner my eyes widened to the green walls lined with unique art by Elif Gray, a Turkish-Canadian self taught abstract painter and collage artist based here in Toronto. 

There have been four artists who have been showcased in this tiny hidden gallery, and if a painting is purchased, all funds are given to the artist.

Boomie has a special something about it. From the colourful decor design, the tags on each garment that explain their make and how to wash, it's adorable location, and it's unique finds, it has a sort of "je ne sais quoi" that oozes of a home like feeling. 

I believe it comes from Silva's dedication to community and shared artistic spaces, "I wouldn't have made it this far without community, so my goal is to do the same for others," says Silva. 

I have been to Boomie Vintage before, and I will be back again anytime I find myself in the area, whether that be to shop, enjoy a coffee on their front patio area embraced by trees or to enjoy the company of the vintage curators who work there.

Boomie has been added to the top of my list as one of my favourite vintage shops in the city.

Boomie Vintage is located at 1425 Bloor st west.