Meira and Tamara Elituv never intended to open a boutique together. But when returning home to Toronto following a stint in the States, elder sister Meira discovered that Canada couldn’t quite cut it when it came to shopping. While she was able to easily sate her needs south of the border in terms of both size and price-point, the boutique scenery here left plenty to be desired. When Tamara impulsively joined her on a buying trip in LA, she, too, was hooked. And with that, the Cloakroom seed had been planted.
Both sisters have plenty of experience in the fashion world. Meira attended LA’s FIDM to become a fashion designer by trade, ending up in Ohio at Victoria’s Secret headquarters. Meanwhile, Tamara sunk her teeth into retail at Canuck fashion bigwig Aritzia while also working as a photographer. Combined, the duo bring a fresh perspective to retail, with their different sizing ending up as something of a secret weapon.
“We’re so different and we look so different, but we work really well together,” notes Meira. “I thought, ‘No one’s catering to my needs – I’m plus size – and there must be others like me.’” So, when it came to stepping into retail, their goals were easy to assess.
