Boudoir Stories - Léora

There’s a little place located far from the hustle and bustle of the city (although looking for parking there would have you believe otherwise) where you can find an adorable little woman who will make your vaguest fashion concepts come to life before your eyes… at a very reasonable price.

Like many of my Montreal fashion blogging peers, I had no idea what I was going to wear to the Museum of Fine Arts’ Transangdanse masquerade Saturday. If you follow us on Twitter, you may have intercepted our mini last-minute crisis… that is until a dear friend suggested we check out Nicole Pelletier’s store, Léora, on Rachel street. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect of the place, so I went online hunting for credentials… and found myself drooling at the scene.

One click into the website, and any couture lover understands they’ve entered a world of awe and absolute genius. I can’t say she had me at hello, but she most certainly had me at the click of her Spring collection link. By then, I couldn't wait to slip into these dreamy vintage dresses, but I hadn’t yet realize that Nicole’s store was much more than that…

It was 7:30 p.m. when I walked into this place I can now officially call heaven. My friend hadn’t arrived yet, but I introduced myself to the elegant redhead, and I instantly knew, from her reaction, that I was among friends. ‘So you’re going to a ball on Saturday?,’ she immediately asked, wasting no time with the urgent matter at hand. ‘Yes, and I have no idea what to wear for a theme like Pompadour meets Dracula.’

I swear, at that very moment, I saw the light bulb go off over her head.

‘I have just the thing for you.’

And that was it. She had found my dress for the evening: a long black vintage gown that required no alterations. Perfectly tailored for my 5’3” frame. I was astounded. But for a true vintage lover like Nicole Pelletier, that wasn’t enough.

‘Do you have black heels?,’ she asked. She obviously didn’t know me.

‘How about jewellery; what are you planning to wear?’ I hadn’t even thought that far ahead. To think I was going to dig through my box, and pick randomly. Such a sin. But thankfully now, I had Nicole.

When I walked out of Léora only 30 minutes later, I was dressed and accessorized from head to toe. To boot, Ms. Pelletier herself was working on my dress, steaming and ironing out every inch to produce absolute perfection.

To say that Nicole Pelletier has decades of experience as a costume designer, to mention she has dressed Catherine Deneuve herself, or to add that her collection includes real vintage Chanel, Prada and Thierry Mugler is to minimize the experience of being with her, in her environment.

A true paradise for lovers of the art of clothes design, Léora will make you feel like you've entered your own lofty NYC Park Avenue dressing room. Try it and like me, you’ll end up looking for other occasions to visit her. I know on my end, I’m desperately trying to justify going back to buy that marvellous straw hat and the cute little blue Kelly-style bag I spent 15 minutes adoring.