After a 10-year career as an accountant, a New West mom has decided to change gears and open a clothing boutique in the city.
Fresh out of New Westminster Secondary School in ‘99, Anita Dunn went straight to university for a commerce degree. She enjoyed math, so she specialized in accounting.
“I thought, this is a good, secure job. Everyone needs an accountant, so I’ll always find work,” she told the Record, adding she eventually got hired as a finance manager working for the provincial government.
Over time, the job became unfulfilling, she said.
“I don’t know how many times I hit the snooze because I didn’t want to stare at a computer all day.”
Dunn also had a creative side growing up, having hobbies like playing piano and drawing – things that as an adult, fell by the wayside.
After a major restructuring in her department last October, Dunn was laid off and given a severance package. But the thought of sitting down at a computer and applying for a similar position terrified her.
“I don’t think it really hit me how much I didn’t like what I was doing until I stopped working. I couldn’t bring myself to sell myself for something I didn’t want to do,” she said. “I thought, well if I was ever going to start something, now would be the time to do it.”
After chatting with local residents, Dunn said she realized she wasn’t the only person who felt the Royal City’s downtown core was lacking good clothing stores. Having lived in Victoria for six years prior to moving back to New West in 2013 to raise her son, she also missed being able to frequent the boutique district known as Lower Johnson Street.
“I thought downtown New West could be like that. It’s got the same look, the same feel.”
Enter Mila + Paige.
The clothing boutique will be opening in June in the old Renaissance Books location at 45 Sixth Street if all goes according to plan, Dunn said, adding she’s waiting to sign the lease. (The book store will be moving to 12th Street.)
But the road to success wasn’t an easy one for the new entrepreneur. Dunn originally had her sights on the Trapp + Holbrook site office. After being reassured by the realtor that she’d have a good chance of moving in, she started shopping for inventory for Mila + Paige.
“I started buying and all of a sudden, I find out the landlords didn’t want a start-up, they didn’t want a clothing store because they had two bridal shops go under in that spot,” Dunn explained. “That set me back emotionally a little bit, because I kind of went, what am I doing? Maybe I should just go back to accounting.”
That feeling of doubt lasted about a day, she chuckled.
Knowing she had racks of clothing coming in the spring, but nowhere to sell them, Dunn then contacted Sixth Street Popup + Gallery to see if they’d be interested in renting her the exhibit space. The owners agreed to have Mila + Paige showcase from April 15 to April 27.
As for her muses, Dunn said Mila is the classy, sophisticated woman with a flair for fashion. She’s in control of her life and has a rewarding career. When she’s not dominating the boardroom, she enjoys going to wine dinners with her friends. Paige on the other hand is chic, young, hip and trendy. She’s a foodie and loves trying new restaurants and bistros on the weekend.
“I wanted to grasp the 25 to 50-plus demographic because there’s a lot of overlap in fashion where a 25-year-old could wear the same thing as a 50-year-old,” Dunn said, noting the store will carry a variety of labels from around the world, including BB Dakota, Gentle Fawn, Darling, Fidelity and Z Supply.
Hand selecting each item was a challenge at first, she admitted.
“I was in one showroom for four hours. You’re going one-by-one, trying to figure out who is my market. The first go-around, you kind of buy what you like and what grabs your attention.”
Despite the steep learning curve, Dunn said leaving accounting to chase after her “unicorn job” has been “a complete 180” for her happiness.
“I was waking up without an alarm, excited to start working, and I was staying up as late as I could to keep working.”
