Freyja Lifestyle Fashion is doing its best to keep Fernie locals up to date on the latest trends. Owner Chantel Souliere opened the store in 2007 and five years later Freyja has become a successful and recognized business in the community.
“The store has definitely had an evolution,” Souliere remarked. “I think when it first opened we were a bit younger, a bit more junior. It’s almost as I’ve grown the store has grown and matured a bit.”
Originally from Calgary, Souliere has been a resident of Fernie for eight years. She originally moved to town to continue her work as a television producer, however after the idea to open a clothing store popped into her head everything seemed to fall into place.
Souliere explained, “I opened the store because I felt that for the 25 to 45 year old kind of range there was just no market there, it wasn’t really being served.”
She went on to say, “The store definitely adds colour to downtown and it definitely fills a niche.”
Souliere is appreciative of how essential the community of Fernie is to her success and does her best to return the favour. She has been involved in organizing fundraising galas for the food bank and more recently has taken on the role as Marketing Manager for Wapiti Music Festival. Souliere commented, “I do think that as much as the community supports me I want to support the community and I want to give back. I think that’s just a core value that I have and I very much recognize that my store is supported by the locals.”
Coming up in October, Freyja will host a customer appreciation night featuring a wine tasting and clothing sale. With fall just around the corner, Souliere is now gearing up for her favourite and busiest time of the year.
