Tucked away in the heart of downtown Oakville resides the city’s most prestigious lifestyle store, Black Caviar. Owned and operated by Julia DeRubeis, this hidden gem is home to pieces from some of my favourite designers including Helmut Lang, Derek Lam 10 Crosby and Theory. More than just classic, timeless clothing Black Caviar also carries a carefully selected range of accessories and beauty products that are sure to tickle the fancy of even the most particular shoppers.

The moment you step into this lavish boutique scents from Hotel Costes fill the air as you are instantly transformed into a world of opulence. From unique artwork available to purchase to St. Tropez spray tanning, this luxury lifestyle store is a one-stop shopping destination for the gal-on-the-go.

I invite you to join me on a journey with Julia as we explore the transformation of Black Caviar over the years. What goes into the buying process? Where does Julia get her inspiration from? All this and more, only on Kiki Khosla!

Where did the idea of creating Black Caviar come from?

Black Caviar is inspired by travel. There’s a store in Miami called The Webster which offers a lot of higher end brands, and another store in Prague called Simple Concept Store which is beautiful. It was really that lifestyle experience I enjoyed, being able to shop for anything from candles to beauty to clothing.

When we first opened we didn’t have much clothing but we have definitely evolved with the Oakville market over time.

Did you focus more on beauty initially?

We focused a lot on beauty, as well as accessories, including books and bags. We also ventured into beach wear. It was great, but over time we heard the people and they wanted more clothing, so we brought that in.

When was Black Caviar founded?

We opened in October 2012.

How did the name Black Caviar come about?

Usually when you think of black caviar you think luxury, something a little different. That’s ultimately where it came from.

Why did you decide to open your store in downtown Oakville?

I worked in retail at Sherway Gardens, and many of my clients were from Oakville so they were always travelling out to Sherway. I realized there wasn’t much here in Oakville offering a luxury lifestyle experience, so I found this was a market to be tapped into.

You carry great brands in your store. What goes into the selection process?

The Black Caviar woman is two things; classic and a jetsetter. With the pieces I carry, some are on trend but most are things you can wear season after season. I carry a lot of neutral colours and a lot of cashmere. My pieces are meant for someone who wants to wear quality everyday. I sometimes venture into dresses, but it’s not what you would come here for.

You carry multiple pieces from certain designers, but do you ever carry one-off designer pieces?

I’ve done it before, but I find it hard to offer brands and not continue with them, especially if clients aren’t familiar with them. I think it’s more acceptable to carry a wider range of brands in Toronto because the market is bigger, but here the Black Caviar woman is very particular, so venturing too far doesn’t work so well.

How do you keep on top of fashion trends?

My favourite magazine is Harper’s Bazaar; a lot of inspiration comes from that. I love street style and the way anyone can just put pieces together without it looking editorial or too made-up.

I often look on Instagram at both New York and Paris Fashion Week street style, which is always a great representation of what’s coming.

Who are some of your favourite designers?

I really love Givenchy, as well as Aquazzura shoes. I would love to carry shoes one day. All the brands I carry are fantastic but they’re more your everyday style.

What were your expectations when starting Black Caviar?

I had no expectations, but my goal is to eventually open more than one location, possibly in Rosedale or Don Mills as downtown Toronto is quite saturated.

What made you take the initial step in opening your own store? Did you have any experience?

I didn’t have any experience in owning my own business. I am lucky because I have a lot of support from my family which is amazing. It’s a scary thing to start your own business, but I knew it was something I wanted to do. I love fashion of course, but I love customer relations, meeting people and learning about the experience of others. I am grateful because the Black Caviar woman is well travelled, so just hearing all the different stories is great. I have amazing relationships with my clients and that’s really special to me. It’s more than just ‘what you are going to wear?’

What has been the most rewarding aspect of owning Black Caviar?

I have a lot of frequent customers who come in just to say hi. The great conversation is really rewarding, and I’m lucky I’m able to relate to customers on different levels. The average age of the Black Caviar woman is 55, but I do have a younger group of clients who come in as well.

Owing your own company requires a lot of work and dedication. Can you talk about some of the challenges you’ve encountered over the years?

Buying has been a challenge. Everyone thinks the buying aspect is a dream job and sometimes I think to myself, ‘is this really my job?’ but it’s hard because you have that pressure to make sure what you’re buying is going to sell. Buying is tricky. At this stage I have certain people in mind when I’m selecting pieces, but initially it’s hard to determine what people are looking for. Of course, I’ve gotten better with that.

Marketing in this area can be a bit difficult. I’ve been in a couple local publications but I just find that if I polled the majority of my clients I don’t think they’re really looking at those publications. A lot of people who come in are word of mouth.

JULIA’S TOP PICKS

(THEORY)

(HELMUT LANG)

You can view some of my personal Black Caviar favourites here, here and here.

For more information on Black Caviar check them out online here or at 335 Lakeshore Road East in Oakville. Black Caviar is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am – 6:00pm.

 

A big thank you to Julia for sharing her world with me!

 

xo, Kiki