This past week, one half of the Mani Jassal Team had the pleasure of travelling to one of our favourite cities, Vancouver, for our annual Pop-up Showroom! The love we receive all the way from British Columbia to Toronto is amazing, so we knew we had to return to see all our clients in person.
The Setup
The Vancouver Pop-up team was comprised of Sunny, Hardeep, Simmy, and Mani Jassal herself. We also had some amazing help from our Vancouver volunteers, Gurneet, Selene, and Paven.
From left to right: Simmy, Mani, & Sunny
Located at The Little Mountain Shop, the team instantly fell in love with modern yet rustic aesthetic paired with the cozy Main Street location. It was more than we could ask for, a perfect space to replicate our Mani Jassal Showroom in Vancouver.
The Mani Jassal Pop-up Showroom at The Little Mountain Shop, 4386 Main St, Vancouver, BC
The team arrived at the location at 6:30pm with 15 boxes, 6 large luggages and additional accessories. The inventory consisted of many Vancouver favourites such as a variety of MKJ bustiers, and of course, the new SS18 “Garden of Desire|Erised” collection. Exhausted from the flight to Vancouver and overwhelmed with the amount of pieces requiring setup, the team were afraid of not finishing before opening day! "It felt like there was no hope!” says Mani, “like this was never going to become the popup we envisioned”. Remarkably, with the team sticking together, the showroom was sucessfully completed 6 hours later.
Sunny credits The Little Mountain Shop for some of the success, “The space was really inspiring,” she says, “it was retail ready to begin with”.
Photographs by @kabirbajwa_
Opening Day
As the team anxiously awaited the client turn out on opening day, they were not disappointed. Clients from all around British Columbia came through to shop and support the team, a few clients even travelled up from Seattle!
Simmy says, “People were really receptive to the new collection”.
Our stylists Sunny and Simmy thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the style preferences and requests of the area’s clientele. Simmy claims, “The clients were really nice and open. They already knew about the brand and what pieces they were looking for”. We also noted a few favourites amongst the clients, including the 2.0 Mastani Top, Fahreel Top, Petals Skirts, and Bustiers. “The girls in Vancouver are not afraid to show a little skin,” Simmy happily exclaims, “Bustiers were hands down the number one favourite and many clients opted for no dupattas,” (our kinda style!).
From left to right: White Mirror Bustier & Jasmine Cut Out Bustier
Photographs by @kabirbajwa_
Mani was pleasantly surprised at the outcome as well, seeing old and new faces is always a great feeling. “I recognized some clients who have supported me since I first started. I really appreciated their support at the Vancouver Pop-up,” says Mani. We also had many clients who have been loyal Instagram followers finally meet the team in person!
Vancouver Favourites: The Dilli Bustier in Red & Chamko Bustier in Mango
Sunny and Simmy were new to the Vancouver Pop-up scene and it’s safe to say that they were left speechless at the kindness they received. “I felt like I even made a few friends!” Simmy exclaimed. Kandy shares the same feelings, saying the clients went above and beyond to make the team feel at home in Vancouver. “A client came in and took down my phone number promising to text me a list of popular places to visit around the city,” Sunny says, “As soon as my shift was over, I received an abundant list of really interesting places. So sweet!”. The team frequently had such encounters, making the experience more than a business trip.
The positivity rubbed off on the team, making shifts start and end in a blink. Simmy attributes a laid back and chill vibe amongst the west coast, really receptive and explorative clients forsure. Our clients may not know but the stylists at Mani Jassal appreciate every interaction they have with different people. We love creating lasting relationships for future consultations.
“We’re a family here at Mani Jassal,” Simmy insists. The team is comprised of Mani’s actual family including her sister Simmy of Wake & Bake Bakery and stylist at Mani Jassal, her mother Pam as Production Manager, and cousin Sunny, also a stylist. The remainder of the team maintains a similar trust amongst each other to ensure our clients feel confident and comfortable when shopping with us. Vancouver definitely welcomed our family into their home!
Photographs by @kabirbajwa_
Trip Favourites
After busy days and long hours, the girls found some time to enjoy the city. We thought we’d let you guys know about a few of our favourite parts.
“I loved driving to Whistler,” says Simmy, “It was so beautiful and scenic”. Sunny agrees but claims the various restaurants around Vancouver got her vote. She says, “The food was so fresh and flavourful, especially the sushi!” (a point the entire team agreed with). The Shameful Tiki Room was another popular stop the team frequented post work for some well deserved drinks. Mani credits the whole experience as her favourite, “Overall it was a great experience and I’m really happy with my team. Vancouver is such a beautiful city”.
“It was difficult to leave,” says Mani, “we can’t wait until next year!”.
Pst...stay tuned! We met some really cool people in Vancouver and had some opportunities to do some photoshoots. We also had amazing collaborators including jewellery sponsors and wedding planners! Keep updated with our blog for new posts!