ANTLR fills the racks with mens clothing

Nov 4, 2022 | 6:00 AM

A new store in downtown Vernon is looking to meet the demand for high-quality men’s clothing, a majority of it made in Canada.

In 2020, Amanda Homeniuk saw an opportunity to provide quality, sustainable and ethically sourced women’s clothing and accessories when she opened Kaleco at 3010 31st Street.

The focus on natural fibers like recycled wool and organic cotton, along with peace of mind for shoppers that products weren’t being made with child labour in overseas textile mills, struck a note with customers.

Her latest venture is now open at 3003 30th Avenue, called ANTLR menswear.

Amanda Homeniuk talks to Vernon Matters Business Editor Kevin Rothwell

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“Kaleco Clothing is our sister store, and it’s the same idea at Kaleco, and we had some great success there. And we kept getting asked if we were going to do men’s wear, so this is our answer,” Homeniuk told Vernon Matters.

“We created a nice space that people would enjoy shopping in and we have some really nice gifts and clothing, just like we have at Kaleco, only for guys.”

ANTLR Interior / Vernon Matters photo

The store features mostly Canadian brands and unique items from small manufacturers.

“We feature some Canadian hand-made products, we have a line of skin care from Vancouver, whiskey rocks from Quebec, and things like colognes that were hand-made in Edmonton,” Homeniuk said.

“We like to feature artists whenever we can to bring their stuff to light. It is hard if you are a small maker to find a place for your products, so we want to be able to focus on that.”

ANTLR Menswear interior / Vernon Matters photo

Finding those new and unique products is part of the passion Homeniuk has for the trade.

“I do a lot of deep dives on Instagram, getting into rabbit holes looking for things that people haven’t seen before. Just really paying attention to the companies we work with and their level of transparency about their materials and manufacturing and making sure we are picking things that you don’t have to worry about, where something is made or how it’s made,” Homeniuk concluded.

by Kevin Rothwell

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