Riot Breaks Out Across BC

September 10th, 2008 | Published in Boutiques | 1 Comment Riot Breaks Out Across BC

Photos and Words by Kari

Working in a female-owned and operated small business has given me such incredible respect for the many women (and men, too) who work tirelessly to carve Vancouver’s fashion landscape into something that we can all be even more proud of. I recently had the chance to catch up with two amazing, hard-working, visionary entrepreneur-esses, who operate sister stores, and shared their tales with me. Read below for Brenda McGuire from Riot and click here to read about Kameyo Melina from HOTBOX.

Last April, I attended one of Riot’s fashion shows and was completely blown away. The Anza Club was transformed into a genuine circus, with giant red and white stripes being the only things missing. Cigarette girls flitted about, collecting charity donations and instead offering happy-lung alternatives like candy and condoms. A bald-headed, barrel-chested strong man posed in the corner, complete with red tee, suspenders, and a curlicued black mustache. There was a ball toss game, with prizes for enthusiasm, and yes, even for getting the ball in the hole. A belly dancing goddess mesmerized the audience with her sensual undulations and adept sword-balancing skills. The event was a rip-roaring good time, and the bustling crowd murmured with excitement, over the pumping sounds of DJ F-you-B.

Then there was the actual clothing presentation. It was great to see a show where models were allowed to smile. And do just about anything else. Models with bright makeup and balloons in their hair strutted, danced, flipped, posed, twirled batons, showed off general mad skills, and one teensy youngster did a series of flips and then leaped off the stage, landing in Strong Man’s arms. The outfits were stylish, eclectic, and included pieces that were versatile enough to wear dressed up or down, which is a pretty big deal in such a casual city. When in doubt, do not reach for the black stretchy pants!

My first impression of Brenda McGuire herself was undoubtedly a good one. After the show, she poured her heart out to the audience and spoke passionately about her store and its promise. This summer, I was lucky enough to score an interview with her.

In 1996, Brenda opened a clothing and accessories store named Raya on Commercial Drive, which means many things in several languages, but the definition that she chose was the peasantry, as in my people. She loves and understands the diversity of Commercial Drive, and at the time, having already lived there for six years, she saw opportunity in the lack of boutiques in the area. The shop became a hotspot on the radars of people who weren’t afraid to take fashion chances.

Raya prided itself in helping people discover their own unique style, carrying as many local or sustainable labels as possible, alongside trendy international lines, fun accessories, and many locally and Canadian-made jewelry collections. The underlying principle that Brenda lives by is “people before things”, and this is also true in her business approach, which is to make things affordable, to give back to the community, and to impact the environment as positively as possible.

“There’s a little community in here. Every event of ours contributes something… We’ve seen twelve year-olds become twenty-five year-olds, people have gotten married… We just chat everyone up and have lots of laughs and fun with great clothes,” Brenda boasted.

And this quest continues. On its tenth anniversary, Brenda turned Raya into Riot, to get re-energized and motivated, not to mention that people mispronounced her store name all the time. The new name identified more with what the store’s vibe was about. Plus, staff must love and be proud to say that they’re Riot squad members; also because Brenda is always quick to put her employees first and makes sure to give them praise.

“We’ve got a great little team going on here,” she said. “I’ve been really lucky to attract such great people and retain them…I’m friends with the staff but they get that there are business and friendship relationships. Over the twelve years that the store has been open, we’ve only had about twenty employees.”

With a store in Prince George that is run by her friend of thirty years, Laurie Loewen, it’s clear that treating people well and having lasting connections is one of the greatest keys to success. Brenda’s proudest accomplishment has been training her superstars, which has lead to Riot squad members in taking some pretty big steps. One of them is Kameyo Melina, whom she currently co-owns Hotbox Accessories on Main with (read more about their venture here), and the other is Chelsey Petersen, who recently decided to buy Riot from Brenda, which has now become all ladies’ clothing (not to worry, gents, Riot will soon be opening up a men’s store. Stay tuned!) and includes a vintage section, sourced by the Squad peeps themselves.

“It’s important not to feel wasteful,” Brenda said. “Our vintage is a part of helping the store recycle too. Vancouver’s fashion scene was nothing twelve years ago, but now we have so many talented people and great schools, and sustainability is a definite force.”

Having been self-employed since the age of 28, the fashion industry and how it changes has kept Brenda interested longer than anything, but she feels that the time has come to move on to something new. After starting the original Riot from the ground up, expanding into Prince George, deciding to open and co-own Hotbox Accessories, and planning out the soon-to-be Riot store for men, her plate is definitely full. Even though Riot on Commercial will be changing hands very soon, Brenda isn’t done yet. She plans to tone down her days in the store and help Chelsey with operations, help open and set up the men’s shop, and dive into a few other areas of interest. “If I didn’t work in fashion, I’d definitely find something to do with sustainability,” Brenda mentioned earlier in the interview. Maybe she’s finally found the opportunity she’s been looking for.

What Brenda McGuire has accomplished so far in her career is incredible. When asked about the transition of phasing out and leaving Riot in the hands of someone else, she answered, “My staff run the store. They’re an amazing little gang of girls, and so it won’t be hard to say goodbye. In the next coming years I’ll have my hands in a few different pies, and am so excited to do something new, have this wealth of knowledge that needs to be shared, and am really looking forward to this next mission.”

Check out Riot’s upcoming Valley of the Dolls fashion show on Thursday, September 11th, and watch the Riot squad makes its explosive onstage debut at the Rio Theatre. “We’re a ballsy bunch of women, and we’re gonna work it!” Click here to see more details about this event.

Riot Clothing + Accessories
1395 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
V5L 3X5
(604) 254-5073