Ladysmith is about to get a brand new men’s and women’s clothing store at 411B 1st Avenue.
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Sam Elkiw is the owner of Four One One. The store has a variety of youthful men’s and women’s wear featuring brands like RVCA, Brixton, Levi’s, DUER, OBEY, SAXX Underwear, and Stance Socks. They also offer Herschel backpacks, wallets and a variety of sunglasses. Due to shipping timelines for fashion orders, Four One One couldn’t get any shoes for their open, but they will carry shoes in the fall.
“I have teenagers. It’s a place where they can shop, but somewhere my friends and I can shop too,” Elkiw said. “I grew up here in town. I only ever remember a couple of places coming and going that were for younger people.”
Four One One sits between Nancy’s Fashions and Top Drawer Boutique, making that end of 1st Avenue Ladysmith’s unofficial fashion district. Elkiw expects Four One One will help drive traffic to the existing clothing stores at 411 1st Avenue and will help keep people in Ladysmith instead of going to Nanaimo or Duncan for clothes.
411B 1st Avenue was occupied by April’s Tack Boutique for many years and has sat empty for the past couple of months after April’s Tack Boutique closed. Parksville-based cannabis retailer Local Cannabis Co. made an unsuccessful attempt to rezone the store for use as a retail cannabis store, but Ladysmith Town Council determined that a cannabis store was not the “highest and best use” of the location.
Elkiw and her husband Steven also own and operate Jerry’s Cannabis Co. and Bayside Vapes in Ladysmith. The Elkiws kept a close eye on Local Cannabis Co.’s proposal, and when it didn’t go through, they saw it as a perfect opportunity to create a unique business in Ladysmith’s downtown core.
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Currently, Elkiw will bring on two employees. She says it’s likely she’ll be looking for someone to take on more of a managerial role at the store sometime in the future.
Four One One will have a soft open on Saturday, June 26 and will be fully opened by Monday, June 28. Elkiw said general hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but she’ll need to see what foot traffic looks like before setting firm hours. She expects the business will be open seven days a week.
Some of the men’s clothing options available at Four One One. (Cole Schisler photo)
