A new fashion hub for independent designers has launched on Queen West. Originally founded in 2020 as an e-commerce platform, the Kowli concept store opened mid-2024, featuring a thoughtfully curated collection of independent designers from Toronto and around the world.
The store features small batch collections from several designers on a rotating basis, frequently showcasing new work. From avant-garde pieces verging on wearable art to minimalist everyday pieces with interesting details, whatever the nature of the designs, everything that Kowli stocks is intended to be one-of-a-kind.
Surprisingly, founder and curator Arezou Ossareh does not work in the fashion industry by trade, but rather in pharmaceuticals. Kowli is her side-hustle, and the manifestation of a long-held passion of travelling and discovering independent designers from around the world.
“I used to travel a lot, and I’d always look for unique pieces that you wouldn’t find in a regular store. Then when I’d get back everyone would ask me where I got that item,” she says.
Ossareh is Iranian and has called Toronto home for nearly twenty years. The name Kowli (pronounced “koli”) is derived from a Persian word that refers to nomadic travellers known for their colourful lifestyle, fashion and ornaments—emblematic of how Ossareh had always sourced her clothes. She felt it was the right name for the business, because kowlis are known for hand making their own clothes and jewelry, creating each design from memory and infusing it with their personality and experiences.
Ossareh got the idea for Kowli in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, because she had begun working with a few Iranian designers in hopes of connecting them with a larger audience. Her intention was to host retail pop-ups around Toronto but lockdown measures forced her to operate the business exclusively online instead. So she continued to develop partnerships with new designers to sell on her website, connecting them with customers across Canada and the U.S.
When the lockdowns were lifted, Ossareh began to host retail pop-ups around the city, pairing the displays with various forms of art, as well as drinks and live music. Eventually she realized that in order to reach more people, it would be helpful to have a permanent location for customers to visit and try on pieces.
Now Kowli stocks upwards of 60 independent brands, all of which are available online, with a smaller rotating collection showing up in store.
“Most of the pieces have some sort of story behind them,” says Ossareh.
That goes for Toronto-based brand Golshaah by Golnar Ahmadian, a two-time Canadian Arts and Fashion Award (CAFA) nominee whose designs are inspired by Iranian architecture; Sondos Stories by Afsaneh Rahimian, whose colourful upcycled pieces celebrate Persian heritage and vintage craftsmanship; Nasim Akhavan, whose designs merge contrasts like masculinity and femininity, past and future; or Setipi, who makes bags by upcycling used tires.
New designers are always welcome to reach out to the shop to showcase their work for short-term periods, especially if they’re Toronto-based, says Ossareh, as she’s always looking to champion local talent.
The shop is open from 12-6 p.m. Wednesday t0 Sunday but Ossareh invites customers to email the shop to book private shopping appointments outside of those times. She’ll consider your budget and help you find pieces that are best suited to you, as well as show you how to style them.
“The pieces are really unique here so sometimes when you see them on the rack, you don’t really know what they’re going to look like. It’s important to me to help customers try pieces, and feel good in them,” says Ossareh, noting that her personal style philosophy is a combination of comfort, and daring to dress different.
The majority of pieces within Kowli are womenswear or unisex, with prices ranging from $150-$1,000 depending on the designer.
The shop also has a backyard space where Ossareh intends to host events, and customers will have the opportunity to socialize and meet the designers. “I don’t want this to just be a store; I want it to be a community for new and independent designers to showcase their work,” she says.
