Chris Koyionis and Colette Todoroff, the owners of 96 Tears Vintage, are experts at what Colette refers to as “digging for treasure.” Years before they opened their vintage clothing store on Queen Street West, the business partners and long-time friends were raking through yard sales and Goodwill stores to find well-loved pieces that spoke to them.
“It’s what we love to do,” says Colette, especially when they get to see customers trying on the pair’s favourite pieces and loving them as much as the shop owners do. “We’re excited to see a piece go to a happy home,” explains Chris. “It takes away from the sadness of seeing it go.”
96 Tears Vintage is stocked with a mix of everything, from fur hats to formalwear, and even some home décor, but the owners make sure that all of the clothing is wearable and, more importantly, made from high quality materials. “Any piece we pick, we inspect every inch of it,” explains Chris. The owners know every item so well, they can recognize when a friend or someone on the street is wearing it.
Hunting for vintage has always been a favourite pastime for the pair, and they want their store — named after an album by The Cramps — to reflect that passion. “It’s a fun shopping experience,” says Colette, “and everyone’s pretty much stoked on it, when they buy a vintage piece.”
