*Elle & Jane Opening Event. Photo: Heather August*

By Jessica Finch

Natural beauty and lifestyle brand Elle & Jane recently opened its doors to the public in Little Burgundy with an aim to become one of Montreal’s newest hotspots for beauty as well as fashion. Founded by best friends Casey Flanz and Gracie Olliver, Elle & Jane was born of the idea that sustainable beauty should be accessible, affordable, and fun.

Located on 2621 Notre-Dame Street West in one of Montreal’s trendiest neighbourhoods, Elle & Jane’s new two-level retail space aims to provide top-of-the-range services as well as a range of unique products, according to the company. An equal mix of ‘girl-next-door and sophisticated woman’, Gracie and Casey have honed their love of beauty and sustainability to create the space.

Co-founder Casey Flanz describes the location as “an experiential space that is approachable for all and incredibly interactive for clients.” Interior design inspiration comes straight out of New York City, with the ground floor emulating a modern city loft. The exposed brick walls are lined with artwork and black detailing gives the space a chic, edgy look. The large black granite counter top creates the centre of the room, with a couch and seating area in the corner to maintain the comfy, at-home vibe. The spa portion of Elle & Jane is situated on the second floor and is designed to relax and calm the client with minimalistic decor and a more neutral colour tone.

Photo: Matthew Parisien

Photo Capture: Google Street View (click to interact with the street)

Casey Flanz explained that when envisioning Elle & Jane, it was important that the services were not only affordable but also convenient. “Treatments are created with the working woman or the busy mom in mind. We want to provide clients with affordable, fast services that ensure they leave Elle & Jane feeling better than they did when they came in.”

Services include organic spray tans, organic teeth whitening, waxing services using all-natural hard wax, and lashes. Quickly becoming one of the most popular services at Elle & Jane is the ‘Express Facial’. Completed in under an hour and using solely Eminence Organics products, it is designed to hydrate and rejuvenate the skin.

All services are carried out on the tranquil second floor of Elle & Jane and provided by an experienced aesthetician. “We were very careful when choosing our aesthetician,” Casey says. “It was important that we found someone who is as passionate about sustainable and natural beauty and skincare as we are, and who is also incredibly knowledgable about this topic. Our aesthetician has over ten years experience in this field and we trust her to provide the most elite treatments to our beloved clientele.” Casey encourages people to pop in to Elle & Jane if they want to learn more about natural haircare, skincare, or makeup.

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Photo: Google Maps/ Go360

Elle & Jane have made a conscious effort to use and retail products that are predominately Canadian and female-owned. “We want to support other women in the industry, especially those who have the same morals as us and are making an effort to ensure the public have access to natural beauty products.” In the short time that Elle & Jane have been in existence, it has been involved in many events and partnerships. The most recent being an in-store pop up with Amour Propre Beauty, a natural beauty line based in Montreal. A vintage clothing pop-up area is also in the works. “Natural beauty and sustainable fashion go hand-in-hand and we’re excited for what’s to come with this partnership”, says Casey.

The retail portion of Elle & Jane carries all-natural skincare, haircare, and makeup brands. Some of which include RMS Beauty, Eminence Organics, Li Organics, and NIU Body, and true to their word, the majority of these are Canadian-based and female-owned.

In addition to the beauty lines, Elle & Jane also carry accessories, apparel, and jewelry — making it a true lifestyle retailer. New additions to the retail space include recycled jewelry line Wolf Circus, and effortlessly chic brand Lover’s Tempo. Both brands originated on Canada’s west coast.

Elle & Jane is a family affair with Casey and Gracie attributing much of their success so far to Christine Olliver and Ken Smith, Gracies’s parents. “Without Christine’s extensive knowledge of the industry and without Ken’s vision and ability to build the location, our dream truly wouldn't have become a reality.” Casey notes. “We are eternally grateful for their continued support and for truly believing in our ability and the potential of two young female entrepreneurs.”

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As Elle & Jane continue to grow, the co-founders encourage the people of Montreal to stop in and experience all they have to offer. “We want to create a community with Elle & Jane. We want to ensure that everyone feels at home when they walk through the door and leaves feeling beautiful and a little more inspired and knowledgable about natural beauty.”

Connect with Elle & Jane at elleandjane.com or via Instagram at @elleandjane

Jessica Finch is a writer and editor based in Toronto. She holds a BA in English and Psychology and is a graduate of Ryerson University’s Publishing program. She has extensive managerial experience in the food service industry, and is interested in exploring innovations within this sector and other retail environments.

Email: jessica@retail-insider.com

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