And Next Door, There’s Due West
by Logan Steele
I’ve always been a fan of one of Toronto’s longest standing Queen West storefronts, Due West. This shop began in the 1980s, believe it or not, as a Western retailer (hence the name) specializing in Cowboy hats, boots, leather goods and all things “Desperado.” The 1990s brought a different vision to this veteran retail space and spawned one of the city’s first cutting-edge boutiques aimed at the urban and industry based young adult market.
Due West was also one of the first stores in Toronto to introduce the then-new Italian denim line, Diesel, in the early 90s. Later, in the mid-90s, it was also one of only three stores in the city to carry the now widely sought-after Evisu line based out of Japan.
This store, needless to say, has been on the cutting edge of high-end street fashion for the past 18 years. With current lines such as Miss Sixty, Nudie, J. Lindeberg, Energie, Farmer Jeans and of course Diesel Industry (plus many others) this store shows no signs of letting up. And for that we should all be thankful!
May of 2007 began a new era when sister store Next Door opened, well, next door to Due West, to rave reviews. This sleekly designed, modestly sized boutique houses higher-end merchandise but still maintains the same street-savvy philosophy as its predecessor. This store carries some very cool stuff: lines such as Alexander McQueen’s McQ, Dsquared2, Buddhist Punk, Acne Jeans and more. This is definitely a fine addition to an already successful Queen St. fashion staple. And the moral of the story is: find your way over and discover yet another gem in our ever growing city.
Due West | 431 Queen St. W. | (416) 593-6267
Hours: Mon – Wed 10–8, Thurs – Fri 10–9, Sat 10–8, Sun 12–7
Next Door | 433 Queen St. W. | (416) 593-6267
Hours: Mon – Wed 11–7, Thurs – Fri 11–8, Sat 11–7, Sun 12–6
[mappress]
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