Ssense lives in the future: its Montreal flagship, a temple of minimalist Bauhaus design meets The Fifth Element camp, is a natural light-filled mecca where post-postmodern fashion occupies its five floors. Seasonal hits from The Row, Phoebe Philo, and Tory Burch welcome you in on the ground level, encouraging further exploration of its men’s and women’s curations that span the multiple stories. The fifth, and final floor, is by far the most expansive. A bright white monastic light reveals an experimentation in extremes: austere metal racks are lined with romantic tulle dresses from Ssense’s latest wedding capsule, and black concrete and stainless steel shelves are dotted with elegant perfume bottles and multicolored vessels.
But what impresses most is what’s not on immediate display. As a digital-first property, Ssense carries limited inventory on-site—but those visiting the boutique, like myself, can connect beforehand with a personal stylist who’ll pull items from your wish list and ship them to the store in as little as 24 hours. I shared my final selects on a Tuesday, and by Thursday morning, every single item I had hearted—from the statement Nour Hammour leather jackets and Dries Van Noten skirts to the colorful Dragon Diffusion bags and teeny-tiny Sophie Buhai shell clips—had arrived from their warehouse for me to try on. And so, as we made our way down to the fourth floor, an overflowing rack of spring fashions greeted me outside my fitting room, with accessories arranged in picture-perfect vignettes.
Somewhere between reality and dream—seeing my wish list come to life—I felt a sense of creative freedom. Ssense’s flagship boutique, an extension of its instantly recognizable world building, is as immersive and surrealist as its virtual self. The pieces I felt a magnetic pull toward mirror what I believe the multi-brand retailer does best: curate directional fashion alongside under-the-radar, discovery labels. Here’s how I approached that inconspicuously self-referential, mix-and-match.
In the Limelight
I was channeling Miuccia Prada’s particular brand of Milanese elegance when I put on this first look, comprised of a trim lime green &Daughter cardigan, teal Dries Van Noten skirt, and black Dunst leather jacket. Eugene from the Ssense team, an absolute legend who has been there for 13 years and whose birthday it was the day we visited helped me roll up the sleeves of the sweater and jacket for nonchalant ease. I loved the optic contrast of Jil Sander’s white kitten heeled sandals against the crinkled satin skirt, a dream piece that was hard to part with—and a great example of a buy that reflects Ssense’s unique point of view. (I’m not not saying I woke up at 4:30 a.m the next day thinking about this particular piece.) Dunst’s oversized jacket—a label I first discovered on Ssense but had to encounter in real life—had great heft and gave the overall look feminine edge. (It’s no longer available, so I’ve linked a close second below in Nour Hammour’s Clint jacket.) The Row’s ’90s bag, in a dark chocolate suede, is one of those passe-partout accessories you simply can’t go wrong with.
Punchy Python
Everything about this look reflects exactly how I want to dress right now: a little cool, a little irreverent. I built the outfit around Dries Van Noten’s python-print skirt—a similar print (rendered as a coat for Look 1) opened the brand’s spring runway show and was styled with red heels as well. I loved all the lush patterns and embroidery details from the collection—the first women’s one following the Belgian designer’s retirement and executed by the in-house design studio—but wanted to make this statement piece feel more wearable by toning it down a with simple white T-shirt. This fitted one from Flore Flore, the Car tee, was the perfect blank canvas for Sophie Buhai’s onyx boule necklace and a buttery leather jacket from Nour Hammour—a wardrobe staple so good I would have left the store wearing it had they let me. The small, east-west shape of Alaïa’s Le Click Bag worked nicely here: I liked the textural complement of the soft nubuck suede against the leather, and the bag’s graceful curves tucked perfectly underneath the arm, as if it weren’t there at all.
Pin(ch) Me
I’m slightly out of my element here in pink and red—they’re two colors I don’t wear often, let alone together, but I loved how they softened up this more directional skirt from Carven. The pearl pin is affixed onto the side, so it looks like someone pinched the satin and went about their day. Small details complete the look for me: Sophie Buhai’s shell hair clip clipped onto the handle of The Row’s petite Park Tote and the same multicolored pearl necklace I’ve been wearing throughout. (I’m going to break the fourth wall here to say that the accessories I am wearing are quite telling of how I personally shop and dress: even in a room full of options, I still go for pieces that can be worn on repeat and styled in new ways. Habits—they are impossible to break!)
So Wrong It’s Right
At first glance, Tory Burch’s brown sequin bodysuit and Tove’s green-gold crinkled skirt should not look so good together—but the color math says otherwise. Ssense had just launched its runway edit from Tory Burch’s spring collection and by some galactic force, this is the piece I was most excited to try. It was styled on the runway with a low and loose striped track pant (Look 24) and patent leather Reva ballet flats, reissued exclusively for the site. I wanted to offset the sporty feel of the runway look by pairing it with something more elegant and dressed-up as I wouldn’t personally wear a sequin bodysuit in the day. Tove’s high-shine maxi and Jil Sander’s kitten heels are impactful but not distracting. The Row’s ’90s Bag makes a second cameo for a subtle finishing touch.
Summer Color Paillettes
Straight from our Under-$300 Style Special: this Gimaguas sequin-trimmed white maxi skirt which I had to try on before leaving. A tad sheer but not uncomfortably so, I’d wear it with a simple white tank and flip-flops for a warm Summer Friday at work. For right now, a Studio Nicholson trench coat that fit even better IRL, and a lightweight knit from Aurelee acted as perfect foil for weather that’s still in limbo. I have a collected a few Dragon Diffusion bags over the years—the understated beauty of the artisanal weave adds crafty charm however styled—and this color variation is next on my list. Butter yellow and rose-tinged red liven up the overall ensemble.
