Gen Heistek is just one of those inspiring women in Montreal, calming making shit happen with a smile and a shrug every time you turn a corner. Her newest Mile End storefront adventure is called Annex Vintage and it's a cozy spot full of quirky and pretty, and positively churning with life. So you know we had to wonder, what's new with you?

"My name is Gen Heistek, owner of Annex Vintage. I have lived and worked in Mile End for the last 20 years. I am also the owner of vintage/clothing exchange store Local 23 and co-founder of Montreal indie-clothing boutique General 54.

It all started when the store-front next to General 54 became vacant. General 54 was feeling a bit squished trying to accomodate both vintage and hand-made things, so it was the perfect opportunity to expand. The idea behind the Annex was to create a shop that would carry exclusively "vintage" clothing (as opposed to second-hand or modern used clothing) organized and presented in a thoughtful and creative manner. It has been a huge hit and we love being on a bustling street like St-Viateur! We make sure there is always lots of new stuff to choose from at affordable prices, and with so many exciting trends in vintage right now, things move really fast!"

So...What's new chez vous?

We have just completely renovated the store: new paint, racking, new window sign and logo and a more streamlined and easy to shop layout! We have also added stacks of custom wooden "cubes" that have been really fun to arrange, like
massive kid's building blocks! The look is a bit more gallery-esque but still very warm with just as much stock to browse, just a lot easier to see!

We are about to launch our new art initiative La Salle D'Essayage for up-and-coming artists and we recently hosted the vernissage for an innovative crawl-format art show joining a dozen different Mile End store-fronts called the Mile
End Block Party.

With that burst of summer weather in March, we were able to bring our collection of high-waisted shorts, rompers, colourful heels and spring dresses out a bit earlier than usual which is really nice! As for trends, we have been totally
inspired by the pastels and geometric prints so popular this spring season.

Our blog has undergone a major re-vamp with new layout, lots of inspiration, as well as street-style posts reflecting the creativity and vintage style in our neighbourhood. We've turned into obsessive bloggers so check our site for new posts daily: www.annexvintage.com

Local love bonus questions of love! Most memorable meal you've had recently in a restaurant in montreal? Best shopping experience? Who else should we feature here?

Meal?: It's a tie: A friend recently treated me to a birthday dinner at Le Filet. Wow. Spectacular! Equally special was a recent dinner at Lawrence on St-Laurent. Their corn chowder is so smokey and delicious it was like sitting next to a camp fire. And the service there had me smiling for days afterwards.

Shopping?: I just got an amazing necklace by Camp and Quarry next door at General 54. The pendant is a little miner figure inside a geode. I love it so much. Aside from that, I am a huge advocate of Jeans, Jeans, Jeans on Casgrain. You will never pay full price for jeans ever again.

Who else?: Naada Yoga. Awesome Mile End Yoga studio. Very good people. I feel more relaxed just thinking about them.

What's New Chez Vous is an interview series by Risa Dickens, Yelp Montreal Community Manager and co-founder of Indyish.com. Each column will spotlight new styles in town and the places local boutique owners love. If you'd like to see your shop/designs featured here, reach out and touch at risa@midnightpoutine.ca