The Board of Trade

Located on an increasingly hip stretch of Union Street, The Board of Trade Co. is a shop run by three friends who are in the business of, "selling you things we love.” The three friends are David Lin, Eunice Quan and Armin Tehrani and they travel around the world to find items for their boutique on Union Street.

With a lot of foresight, David and Eunice opened their store in 2011 on an almost-desolate block in Chinatown. They were fresh out of university and hungry to introduce new design talent to Vancouver. Retail neophytes, they took a chance and went against the grain, choosing independent brands that most Vancouverites had never heard of. In the first months, there were just a handful of clothing racks with barely enough items to fill them, and a few DIY waferboard structures to showcase jewellery and art objects.

In the years since, “our store has completely changed,” says Armin, who joined Eunice and David in 2012. “It’s become more refined. As a store, we’ve matured.” While maintaining their original minimalist aesthetic, The Board of Trade Co. has grown into a favourite for local artists, architects and gallery owners who aren’t afraid to dress a little unconventionally.