Shop Talk is written by OM editor Dayanti Karunaratne and Sarah Fischer, OM account executive and fashion maven. 

Last month, we were surprised to see a farewell note, of sorts, in the window of West Wellington boutique Slaysh.

Being the nosy, newsy people we are, we poked around for more. So we went directly to the source, Slaysh owner Sarah Hyde, for details on the move.

Her reply, as in the pictured letter, oozed with positivity. “I know the initial thought from most people will be sad but I am truly excited about the new direction,” she wrote, and went on to explain the thinking behind the move from the Glebe to Wellie West. Now, as Slaysh goes online, we’re getting a better sense that Sarah is a smart and creative entrepreneur.

“The decision to go online, obviously was made partially because I will be expecting a baby girl in the new year but also so that I could get back to the things that drove me to open shop in the first place,” Sarah says. “I am really looking forward to spending more time on the creative side of the business rather than just the everyday necessities of being in the store seven days a week. I want to make sure Slaysh continues to have a physical presences through pop-up shops, events, and partnering with other creative people in our city.”

Indeed the shopping hub of Wellington West is fairly bursting with energy these days and Slaysh has clearly contributed to this buzz. And that doesn’t seem likely to change, despite the lack of a ‘bricks and mortar’ home.

“I find that when I sit down to think about the possibilities my mind goes crazy with excitement. I would like to shift the focus to some brands that aren’t readily available from Canadian online retailers as well as work on some exclusive pieces for Slaysh, whether it be a collaboration piece or a private label product.”

Slaysh private label? Exlcusives? Sounds intriguing. But what about the short term? We like instant gratification, and Sarah did have some exciting news for December:

“One project I can talk about right now that I am super-excited about is that for the month of December Slaysh has teamed up with JV Studios for a One Space, Two Shops experience” that will bring the best of Slaysh and Jasmine Virani together for the Christmas season.

In January, 1282-A Wellington St. W. will be the permanent home of JV Studios, and Slaysh will move online.