Unicorn Boutique has become high on my list of local places to rest my weary eyes, touch soft fabrics, be inspired by independent design and leave with exceptional basics and original jewelry in the $50-$150 price range. The clothes are girly but often in a monochromatic, blacks, whites and greys way; chic with subtle unconventional twists, reflective of a taste that somehow manages a balance between exuberance and minimalism. This is a balance I need to learn more about, so I went to the source and posed my favorite questions to co-owner Amelie Thellen.

"Melanie Robillard and myself are the two owners of the store. We opened Unicorn on Sept 2008. We have been working in the fashion industry since we could start working, so, 16 years old! I have a bachelor degree from UQAM in Fashion Management and Melanie studied in Haute Couture in Ottawa. We both love travelling, black & white and finding vintage furniture.

Our shop UNICORN is a cute boutique for smart looking women with a hand-picked selection of international, national and local designer brands with a round-up of the very best accessories from here and abroad."

I had my mind blown at The Little Shop. (You can probably tell this from my way wordy Yelp review.) Thing is, I had read and heard hints of this once super secret shop for years. But it was only when I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with the owner, Jill Moroz, having her answer my questions and lead me through the buried bounty in her family's collections, that I really began to understand what this place has meant for artists, women, and the multicultural Montreal community.

"We have been around for almost 50 years, 30 years at 1002 Ogilvy and always in Park Extension. My name is Jill (my background is film and fashion) and I run the shop with Phyliss who started the shop with my mother. My mother passed away just over 3 years ago. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue this."

Fashionista514 is a sharp local style blog requested for the Chez Vous series by a savvy reader (love that, thank you!) It's author Robyn Chalmers frequently offers a sexy, behind-the-scenes peephole into Montreal and NYC photoshoots and designers. Robyn and her blog have been featured in ELLE Canada, FASHION, Clin D'Oeil, LouLou, KILL Mag, and more.

My name is Robyn Chalmers, and my blog is www.Fashionista514.com. While it is primarily a personal recount of my life and opinions, tidbits of fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and social observations inevitably always get thrown into the written and visual mix. Blogging has been my full time career for just over two years now, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. I'm very proud/privileged to be the online ambassador for Annabelle Cosmetics, where I maintain their blog and animate their YouTube makeup tutorials. Blogging has been very good to me (and it's only just the start)!

Watchout, I'm taking a bit of a detour with this edition of "What's New Chez Vous," leaving my local boutique loves waiting in the wings for a week to spotlight a cool local fashion blog. LakeJane.com is a Montreal style blog that is also a delicious food blog, and photography blog, and thoughtful personal blog. Whatever else she's showing us with her keen eye, the author is always also funny, humble, and honestly examining daily life. Featuring LakeJane was a reader suggestion, so don't say I never did nothing for you, you adorable hooligans. Now quiet down and be polite while this lovely lady introduces herself...

"My name is Marie-Eve and I write LakeJane.com, a daily lifestyle blog that chronicles my life in Montreal and all the things that grab my attention - everything from design and decorating to food and fashion. The blog has followed me as I've travelled overseas, planned my wedding, decorated apartments, eaten my way through Montreal and more. Although I focus a lot on small local businesses, the blog has developed an ever-growing international readership, which I'm really proud of. It's nice to see so many people interested in what we're up to here in this corner of the world."

Genevieve Champagne is a wise-eyed fashion adventurer with an admirable ability to run her fingers through the decades' ebbs of tacky and thrilling trends to fish out gems. Her vintage shop La (Found)erie across from Vices et Versa on St Laurent is an evolving experiment in DIY decorative design. Champagnes shop is always welcoming and cozy, and always rocking inspired music choices which helps her calmly coax her loyal customers into outfits ever more adventurous...

"By opening the shop I wanted to create a new kind of thrift experience; a boutique where presentation is as important as the garment and where every vintage item fulfills specific current trend demands. I also wanted to create a comfortable space where high end fashion wouldn't be intimidating and where quality pieces would be affordable and available to all of us."

The Incurable Hobbyist is a highly subjective monthly series that examines various hobbies and the areas of the city that offer means to facilitate their practice. The goal is to inspire curious readers to develop hobbies they'll grow to love dearly, filling their hearts with the singular joy that comes with learning something special, something new.