Some of the most fascinating stores, and those which are the most fun to browse, cannot be pigeonholed. You can take a deep, relaxing breath while you look around and enjoy the eclectic ambiance. For example, you may think that Citizenry in the trendy Queen West shopping area is a café, and it is, but it’s also a unique clothing boutique that focuses on Portuguese designers. “Being born in France and having an aunt as a seamstress, I was around fashion from a very young age,” says Paula Seiça, who owns the store with husband Basilio. “My family moved to Portugal when I was a child and I started designing my own clothing. I rarely bought anything in a store!”
Immigrating to Canada as an adult, Paula decided to turn her passion into a business with a focus on Portuguese fashions. “There is next to no presence of Portuguese designers on this side of the ocean,” says Paula.
