Boutique Firenze

Bringing the world to London

Boutique Firenze offers giftware with heart

By Ellen Ashton-Haiste

ABOVE Bettina Weber, Boutique Firenze owner.

In recent years Boutique Firenze has become London’s go-to retailer for articles imported from Italy. This unique boutique focusses on specialty gloves and pashmina shawls, as well as silk and cashmere scarves.

While those will always be core products there’s a growing selection of merchandise to attract shoppers, says owner Bettina Weber. “We’ve evolved into a gift shop with many lovely products from Italy and also those that support Canadian artists and small businesses,” she says.

Weber works closely with First Nation artists, many from the Pacific Northwest, and with marketing their work. These offerings include scarves, mugs, soft deerskin purses and stationery items like colouring books, calendars and journals, all designed by Indigenous artisans. “The artwork is just so beautiful,” she says. “It’s a very different, very bold design.”

Other Canadian articles are crafted by small businesses across the country.

Weber carries beeswax candles from The Wicked Bee in Woodstock. This company prides itself on sustainable and environmentally-friendly products and manufacturing.

Recently added to the inventory is beeswax food wrap, handmade in Hamilton by Mind Your Bees. It is a washable and reusable product, that replaces plastic wrap to keep cheeses, baked goods, fruits and vegetables fresh.

Weber also supports newcomers to Canada. She sells chocolate products from Peace By Chocolate, one of Canada’s refugee success stories. The Hadhad family, once owners of a chocolate factory in Damascus that shipped product across the Middle East, was forced to flee Syria. They came to Antigonish, N.S., where they started fresh, in their garden shed, and have rebuilt a thriving business.

Since Boutique Firenze has long sold cotton products – including chef’s aprons and market bags, breathable cotton facemasks have been added to the roster. These are produced by World Tailors located just up the road from the Adelaide Street shop. This social enterprise works with refugee and immigrant women, teaching them skills and building community.

There are also many Italian products, Weber says, from Venetian Murano glass jewellery to toiletries, including soaps from three different companies.

The common denominator for the giftware, she says, is that it must be meaningful to her. “It has to sing to me. I don’t want to have it ‘just because’.” n