2023 FAVORITE MOMENTS

In this edit we take the time to look back on 2023 and the great moments it held. From tattoos to Paris this year was full of great memories.

FAREWELL 2023

Words by Arcy Hawks

I am not one to look back and don’t live in the past. That can be a suitable vs. wrong type of situation. I don’t always learn from my mistakes, but I don’t lament the past. 

2023 has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The retail landscape is struggling. Some of us are not riding that wave of never-seen-before business we were used to. The world seems to be falling apart, and perhaps fashion is unnecessary. This is my constant dialogue with myself.

With the closure of our Westbank location, my mindset has shifted towards being a good retailer. By that, I mean one that is more considered. I have always felt this way, but now, more than ever, the need to downsize and be thoughtful is clear to me.   

2023 also saw growth. Growth in my staff, our ability to push more fashion-forward designs, our men’s collections have been getting more attention, our Sunday edits are growing in popularity, we hosted tattoo popups, brought one of our favorite jewelry designers, Scosha, to Habits, and we launched a Newspaper!

2023 was also a time of extremes. Extreme weather, extreme political fissures, and extreme wars. This is not sustainable. I live in such a sheltered bubble, as do most of us here in this beautiful extreme environment where the world’s problems seem so far away. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel for all the people who are suffering now. 

My only hope is that 2024 will see better times. As for my aspirations? It will be to create a place to be proud of.   Both within myself, my home, and my small corner of the world.

I look forward to 2024. It’s time to look ahead, not back.