You’re warned from the outside. “Commissaires is a boutique,” says the text on the door. “You can come in, and look, and talk, and ask questions. You can also buy stuff, but you don’t necessarily have to. And you enter by pulling the door.” It’s probably the best way to describe the spirit at Commissaires, a hybrid concept of boutique and art gallery defying (and defining) trends that clearly represents Montréal’s core values.
It’s a place to relax, to admire and to get inspired, too. You’re always in for a surprise at Commissaires, as they continually re-stock with the unexpected. It’s new, innovative and fresh, and sometimes provocative. Commissaires is always miles in advance from other boutiques when it comes to design, architecture and art. But it’s also a great example of what Montréal really is, a mix of Europe’s culture and history, and North America’s taste for risk. It’s about how our own plucky creativity and the welcoming of different cultures can make something exceptional happen.
Commissaires
5226 St. Laurent Blvd.
514-274-4888
commissairesonline.com
View more photos of Commissaires on my Flickr account.
