Located at 223 Mcdermot is Lennard Taylor, a clothing store run by yours truly — Lennard Taylor. Open Monday to Friday from 11am – 7pm and Saturday 11am – 6pm, Lennard Taylor specializes in handmade, original denim and leather clothing. They also sell original paintings and artwork, as well as hand-picked antiques.
The man himself, Lennard Taylor, is a fashion designer and painter based in Winnipeg, MB. Raised in Old St. Vital, Lennard has been creating for eight years and has worked all over the fashion industry. From overseeing thousands of units in large corporations to working in China managing productions to sitting in his shop sewing the day away.
Lennard is self taught and grew up in a family of creativity. His father is an architect and painter, his mother is an interior designer and also loves hand needle work, and his sister is a graphic designer — growing up Lennard knew he would have a career in design.
“I’ve always loved fashion and dressing up. Any excuse to look fancy is great, I love the process.” Says Lennard. “The first time I painted is when I really felt the power of a paintbrush. Painting is something I have to do, I need it in my life.”
Although Lennard has done shows all over Canada, he says Winnipeg has always been home for him. Having a close group of friends from Winnipeg and keeping budget in mind, Lennard plans to stay in the Peg.
“Winnipeg is a small city — you can get relatively known with your peers very easily.” Says Lennard. “Compared to Toronto, I’m a small fish in a big pond. In Winnipeg, I’m a small fish in a small pond.”
Lennard says he loves the creative community in Winnipeg and it’s one of the main reasons he keeps coming back.
“It a great support system.” Says Lennard.
Previously, Lennard had a studio in the Exchange District but the shop didn’t receive as much traffic because it was hidden. When a storefront on Mcdermot popped up, Lennard jumped at the chance to take it.
Before, the store had just been a temporary Pop Up Shop, but Lennard loved the space so much he locked in the space for long term.
“I lucked out hard with this space.” Says Lennard “A lot of people would kill to have this space.”
One of Lennard’s most popular collections is the Ripped Hazard Collection of shirts with various holes in them. Previously, Lennard was ripping each shirt by hand and then he had the idea to rip the shirt using a shotgun. His new collection of Ripped Hazzard shirts: Shotgun Edition, will have holes from a 12-gauge shotgun. He plans to release the shirts on November 6, 2015.
Lennard hopes to revamp his website and release his Fall 2016 collection. Although he plans to have a show in Edmonton and Calgary, Lennard says he would love to work with some more local people to connect and make the community stronger.
