I have always loved Cabana, the beach house-ish boutique on Lovers Lane. I love its cashmere sweaters, casual dresses, bohemian jewelry, collection of sandals, and an occasional head-turner, like a sequined frock or neon leather jacket. When I heard owner Merry Vose was opening a more upscale boutique nearby, I wondered if it was necessary. The threads aren’t exactly inexpensive at Cabana, and along with stores like Forty Five Ten and Neiman Marcus, Highland Park Village has a slew of designers to provide our label fix, so do we really need more of the same? But sister store Canary is not more of the same. And despite its higher priced lines, it’s totally approachable. You can even pop by a little window shopping and an iced tea. In the March issue of D Magazine, Cristina Daglas reviews.
There’s no sign outside, and it’s fitting, speaking to the very essence of Merry Vose’s new shop. Canary was imagined for and requested by Vose’s current client base, the women who know the path down the road to her Cabana and its trademark lavender door quite well. But this 3,000-square-foot former fishing shop is not an extension of its beachy counterpart. It’s a vision all its own.
With black-and-white-striped floors, leopard chairs, and the color yellow throughout, Canary is a “fresh, friendly approach to fashion,” Vose says. And it shouldn’t feel intimidating. “I want my girlfriends to feel like they can pop by and have an iced tea, and that’s kind of our signature. Iced tea in our to-go glasses.”
It’s also quite the juxtaposition—plastic cups and Christian Lacroix wallpaper. Which is exactly what Vose is going for. “The decor very much matches the vision for the clothing,” Vose says. “It’s tailored but edgy. Those Milo Baughman chairs and that little Milo Baughman sofa. It tells a story. That classic midcentury modern woman with history.”
Offerings are sophisticated yet fun, with everything from luxe basics to colorful prints and an emphasis on English designers. “It is by chance,” she says, “but it’s also aesthetic because I love color, and I feel like the English designers do it beautifully.” Crippen, Veronica Beard, Marissa Webb, Sea, Peter Pilotto, Kenzo, and Frame are some of the brands that fill the shop, among other carefully curated designers not typically found in Dallas.
“My main focus is to bring a lot of value to designers that I think are important,” Vose says. “And to not just buy a little bit of that designer, but represent their line fairly broadly.”
What she’s brought in so far has sold well and quickly. The loyal clientele approves. “I know the customer I’m buying for,” Vose says. “She’s likely one of my very good friends.” –Cristina Daglas
