Lori Yelizarov
STEPIN' OUT: A Passion for Fashion Story by Sarah Gordon
Photos by Sandra Steier and Carolynne Palla
As a teenager, Lori Yelizarov knew she was a budding fashionista when she had to negotiate a clothing allowance with her father. As an adult, it made sense that she would end up working in the fashion industry. Lori was the manager of Current Fashions at Blundell Centre for ten years and in 2013 she purchased Stepin' Out on Moncton Street, Steveston’s one-stop shop for women’s shoes, clothing, and accessories.
The original owner spelled Stepin' with a single “p” as a play on words, to invite people to step into the shoe store. Today, Stepin' Out sells clothing alongside shoes. When Current Fashions closed, Lori was eager to continue working and approached the owners 8
of Stepin' Out to see if they would be interested in taking her on as a part-time employee. After a few months, they offered to sell Lori the business. She says, “I thought, it’s now or never. I saw it as an opportunity, so I went for it!” Lori began to make the business her own. She eliminated children’s shoes and introduced women’s fashion which now makes up fifty per cent of her merchandise.
Stepin' Out has won Richmond News' Best of Richmond for eight consecutive years. For a small Steveston shop to place first running against large national shoe stores is an honour and attests to the personal service that independent merchants offer their customers.
StevestonInsider.com
December 2021 - January 2022
