Thursday 1 December 2011

Para Mix-in It Up

*UPDATE*
So I decided to switch up the focus of my blog and make it more of a General Purpose kind of thing. I don't know much about fashion, as you can probably decipher from my previous posts, and I heard somewhere that blogs are the new journals. This is going to be a self-serving kind of thing, and if you don't like it.. well... you can make a blog yourself, lazybones!

That being said, here's a post about a local Winnipeg clothing store...

I sat down with local clothing shop owner, Candy Lam, to see why her pet project “Para Mix” is such a success story in the relatively sparse Winnipeg market.



Q) What made you decide to go into the garment industry?

A) Well, it started when I first moved to Winnipeg and I needed something to do to kill time. My husband was busy studying for his masters and I decided that I wanted to sell stuff outside, like a garage sale kind of thing. But my husband thought that I would be kidnapped so he got me a kiosk at City Place. Then eventually I made enough money to move to our spot on Osborne and we’ve been there ever since.

Q) Were you ever wary to open up a store in Winnipeg?

A) I was too young to worry when I started, and it was all supposed to be pretty short term. Everyone in my family runs a store and so I thought “why not me too?” It’s been ten years now since Para Mix opened.



Q) What influences your personal style and the kind of clothes you buy for the store?

A) I like to try and find beauty in everything. I like weird stuff, no brands. Hong Kong style really influences me.



Q) What kind of clothing style do you think is unique to Winnipeg?

A) There are lots of artsy people here. Winnipeg is a breeding ground for creativity and I think a lot of people like to express themselves by the clothing that they wear.

Q) What do you think is the biggest fashion don’t of all? Crocs? Socks and Sandals?

A) In my opinion, there’s not really anything that would always be considered a fashion don’t. I think if people wear their clothes with confidence you can pull anything off. I guess the only thing I can think of is when there are too many pieces in an outfit. Often a look is better with a little editing, and it’s always good to see the person wearing the clothes, and not the clothes wearing the person.



Q) What’s a good fashion tip for the readers at home to follow?

A) Hmm... Let’s see. Everyone has a different kind of style, so I guess my advice would be to make sure that your clothes are making you happy, otherwise, what’s the point? You shouldn’t have to “suck it in” the whole day, and you can always find clothes that are comfortable and also fashionable, especially the way trends seem to be going now.



Para Mix is located in the heart of Osborne Village. According to their Facebook page, they “specialize in finding the perfect outfit for any occasion, whether it be your 18th birthday, your grad, wedding social or a special night out on the town! All clothing we carry is a one -of-a- kind, imported from overseas, and we also carry a variety of different purses, accessories and shoes. Our inventory changes daily so come check it out soon and come back often!”

The store also regularly catalogs their available inventory here.