Canadian Site Trouvaille Launches Capsule Collection
TORONTO — After spending a decade working for Club Monaco in New York and Holt Renfrew in Toronto, Trouvaille founder Britt Barkwell has made it her mission to offer consumers a simpler, smarter way to shop online.
“Time-strapped women need help to cut through all that clutter out there online that can overwhelm them,” Barkwell said.
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After helping to build Club Monaco’s inaugural editorial platform and Holt Renfrew’s social media platforms and digital magazine, Barkwell began to note a shift in the fashion industry.
“I could see that something was changing in the way that consumers were making their purchasing decisions and that they were being driven by content. That realization made me want to launch Trouvaille and experiment with that relationship between content and the way consumers shopped,” Barkwell told WWD.
Named after the French word meaning “a lucky find,” since 2018 Barkwell’s bespoke digital platform has served up a mix of editorial content that features seasonal wardrobe must-haves at high and low price points.
It’s also given shoppers access to wardrobe advice from Trouvaille’s team. Website visitors fill out a quiz specifying their tastes and budget. Within one week Trouvaille will forward a customized list of suggested items to try, complete with multiple styling options.
On Friday, Trouvaille introduced T.Line, the first of what will be ongoing quarterly capsule collections of minimalist fashion and decor essentials, priced from 45 to 250 Canadian dollars that will appeal to U.S. and Canadian consumers who value shopping less and buying with more intention.
Courtesy of Trouvaille
T.Line’s campaign for its inaugural collection, Edition No. 001, features Canadian model Liisa Winkler, a pick Barkwell believed would connect well with busy real women both for her beauty and maturity.
“T.Line is a natural progression for the brand,” said Barkwell, whose limited-edition assortment includes ready-to-wear pieces like the perfect white shirt and the best-fitting Breton stripe; accessories such as the classic silk scarf and gold stacking rings; plus one-of-a-kind handcrafted catchalls and mini vases to dress a home. Several of the pieces can be personalized with a complimentary monogram in signature scripts or hand-painting.
Designed and brought to life in Toronto by local tradespeople, T.Line is made in small batches with a commitment to slow fashion that doesn’t produce excess inventory.
Items included are also created with fabric sourced from responsible local suppliers to avoid waste.
“If you were only to buy eight to 10 items, these would be the ones you want,” Barkwell said. “It’s a numbered collection. So when it sells out, it sells out. But the ethos is all about giving consumers everyday essentials that make living simple and that will last beyond one season.”
T.Line’s focus turns to the shirt dress, linen pajamas, Turkish towels and al fresco dining for summer 2022, as well as knits for fall.
A move to brick-and-mortar is also on Trouvaille’s radar.
“We’ll be testing those waters by doing a pop-up shop in Toronto for 2022’s holiday season,” Barkwell said. “But right now we’re making a responsible start with this new way to shop that speaks to the way women really live.”
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