Babette Vintage: A New Store for the Romantic Vintage Shopper

In conversation with the co-owner of Mile End’s new vintage shop.

By Lucie Miller ☆ Issue 1, Spring 2025

Photo via Babette Vintage.

Six years after moving to Montreal, Astrid Yates has opened a vintage clothing store on the cusp of Mile End with her business partner, Tennyson Graham. Open as of this spring, Babette Vintage sells high quality vintage women’s clothing, curated for their unique designs and natural fibers. The store also features unisex clothing and menswear alongside works made by local Montreal artists.

On Valentine’s Day morning, I met with Astrid via video call to talk about her new project. We were occasionally interrupted by Babette the cat, her rag doll and the inspiration behind the store’s name. 

Tell me a bit about Babette Vintage… Was opening the store something you and Tennyson had been thinking about for a while, or was it decided spontaneously? How was the concept born? 

It’s something that has always been a dream for Tennyson and me. She grew up in a community of artists and collectors and got hooked on antiquing from a young age. As for myself, growing up in downtown Toronto, I was always shopping at vintage stores and it was my dream to be able to run one. All my friends remember me saying this when I was like fourteen, so it’s just really full circle in that way. 

I wasn't planning on finding a storefront right after graduation, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The location is great and it had previously been a vintage store for fourteen years. So I really wanted to maintain that community aspect and carry on that legacy while giving it a fresh look. I was working a lot with the previous owner in the beginning, and she’s still really invested in the project. It's really nice to have support from someone who’s been in the industry so long. 

Is this your first time doing something of this nature? Has anything about undertaking a project like this surprised you? 

Yes and no. First time opening a physical store, yes. But I’ve been hosting art and vintage markets and pop ups and working in small local businesses since I was fifteen. I’m twenty-four now. I guess the main thing that surprised me is the opportunity presenting itself to me at such an early age. It’s just one of those things that felt right in the moment. I can be a bit of an impulsive person but I think I like that about myself. It's my Aries rising popping off, helping me take a leap of faith. 

Also, the amount of support we’ve been getting from people reaching out and offering to help, it’s been amazing. I’m surprised by how many people are so invested in this project or have told me how inspiring it is. 

Do you think Montreal’s curated vintage market is oversaturated at all? How do you plan to help Babette Vintage stand out among the many? 

Coming from a place like Toronto, no. I also went to London last year and if you’ve ever walked down Brick Lane, there’s like a hundred vintage stores in a kilometer radius. So in comparison to those places, I don’t think it’s oversaturated. But the fact that there are a lot of vintage shops in Montreal is a good thing. Because vintage is such a unique way to shop, no piece is ever going to be the same—unless maybe it’s deadstock [laughs]. 

Another reason we’ll stand out is thanks to our artists and vendors. We’ll have printed matter, objects, and houseware, all from hyperlocal artists who don’t have a huge platform yet. Because it’s a small store we have to be quite selective with our stock, which forces us to hold ourselves to a higher standard of quality than we maybe would if we had more space.

How did you get the idea to also sell objects from local artists? 

I come from an art background—I just finished my BFA at Concordia in Design—so my personal practice has informed that a lot. This Valentine's Day I'm thinking about the people I love and the people that surround me in a city like Montreal that is so abundant with artists. It’s just a natural way to connect to the community. I’ve also been a part of artist markets since I was a kid. I remember the first time I bought a vintage ring in the gymnasium at my elementary school, I was probably like seven. I wore that ring so much it broke. I think the artist objects section of the store comes from that community I was raised in. I want to keep that going. 

Tell me more about the featured objects… Any collaborations in particular you’re excited about? 

It’s basically going to be any type of art that’s either wearable or usable… That may be in a decorative way or a functional one. A lot of functional objects aren't recognized as artistic, but in reality have a careful creative process behind their design. I consider these creative design processes an art form in themselves and think they should be more recognized in the contemporary art sphere.

I want to give a little shout out to Bois Magique which is a furniture, art, and design expo run by my friend Raf [Khoury]. Bois Magique was born from the same thought, that design is often left out from the contemporary art sphere and so we’re trying to bridge those gaps. He’s doing it on a large scale exhibition but I’ll be doing it on a small scale, incorporating functional design objects into the art section of our store.

Would you say your or Tennyson’s personal styles are reflected in Babette Vintage’s curation?

Yes and no. Obviously our tastes are going to come through since we’re doing all the design and curation ourselves, but at the same time I won’t necessarily wear everything that’s in the store. Our main parameters for curation are quality—we want to focus on having well-made pieces with natural fibres. Every vintage store owner will tell you that they just don’t make things like they used to, so that’s a big part of our philosophy. On top of that, we only want pieces that are really special. We want each item to feel like it was hand-picked out of a sea of clothing, and that’s exactly what it is.


Finally, why get into this line of work? What do fashion and design mean to you? 

I think I always knew I would end up being my own boss. Second hand shopping is bad ass and designing, curating and organizing are my favourite ways to express myself.

Visit Babette Vintage at 157 Rue Bernard O. @babettevintage on Instagram.

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