Malabar's sister store in Ottawa has been costuming and outfitting the local theatre and dance community for over 42 years. Originally situated on Rideau Street, the store was eventually moved to a small warehouse on Merivale Road in the 1970s.
After 35 years there, and having completely outgrown the space, Malabar Ottawa once again changed locations – this time heading across the street. The move to a bigger and better location has been welcomed by both staff and customers, and the new 1610 Merivale Road site offers plenty of room for a huge supply of costumes, accessories and dancewear.
Store manager Blane Holtz undertook much of the renovations himself, building all of the wooden cabinetry, shelving and countertops. The real stone archway (shown to the right) is a particularly popular feature in the store, separating the retail area from the rental department.
The new rental section showcases costumes much better than in the previous location, with the additional room allowing for a new selection of period costumes manufactured by master tailor and Malabar owner Luigi Speca, and his team in the Malabar Toronto workroom.
The Raise the Barre Club
When you join the Raise the Barre Club at Malabar Ottawa by making a $5 donation to children's charity Roger's House, you get 10% off regular-priced dancewear in the store for a full year.
Click here to read about the donations Malabar (with your help) has made to Roger's House in recent years.
