The Hat Store with a Double Life
Vancouver’s Granville Island is a theatre of sensory delight. Daredevil street performers enthrall cheering audiences. Sunlight glimmers on the inlet as crowds jostle among farmers’ stands of bright, ripe produce, silver-scaled fish, and the fragrant blossoms of fresh-cut flowers. Melodies from street musicians weave in and out of the calls of wheeling seagulls.
This is the backdrop for Edie Hats.
Enter into the shop and you are transported into the realm of fantasy: another world where anything is possible. Every surface, nook and corner is filled to the brim with exotic, surprising, beautiful hats of all descriptions. From floor to ceiling, antique furniture and unique objects delight you with unexpected details. An upright piano sits against one wall next to a steel-string guitar, Victorian mirrors and ornate cabinets, leather-bound books and an old steamer trunk bursting with treasures.
Magic happens here.
On special evenings, as dusk falls and the bustle of the market slows, the transformation begins. Hat-racks are whisked away to reveal a sprung-wood dance floor, Parisian café tables and chairs appear and the jewels and feathers of elegantly costumed patrons sparkle in the warm glow of candlelight. Musicians tune their instruments and the audience murmurs as the theatre lights shine down. The performance is about to begin.
Edie’s Café
Since the opening night gala in 2005, Edie Hats has transformed itself into theatre for a series of very unique performances like “Café de Chinitas” with Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre, “Paris Blues” and “Kansas City” nights with bluesman Jim Byrnes. Edie Hats has also been host to interactive theme events like “Titanic Night” which included a presentation by noted fashion historians and collectors Ivan Sayers and Klaus Jahnke and a catered re-creation of an authentic menu from the Titanic. Guests were encouraged to dress in period costume (including hats, of course!) and play a historic role in the evening’s drama.
If you would like to be notified of the next unique “Edie’s Café” night, please join our mailing list to receive our newsletter. You will hear from us about once a month and get VIP notice of our upcoming events as well as news and information of interest to the true hat lover.
