CMMN GRND; Photo credit @houseofbohn and @karinbohn
When Womyn’s Ware opened in 1995 in Vancouver, its business concept was ground-breaking. Co-founders Janna Sylvest and Otter Louis saw an industry that was often exploitative, and instead wanted to create an environment that was about community and education. “What they wanted to do was create a safe space for their clientele who were, predominantly at the time, lesbian folks,” says Lesley McHale, current co-owner of the business. The name, Womyn’s Ware, was a political statement meant to underline Sylvest’s and Louis’ feminist stance.
Over the course of two decades, Womyn’s Ware became an institution within the city, developing
→ Continue reading at Inside Vancouver