The Scrappy Biz of the Creative Life

From the outside, it looks decrepit at best, abandoned at worst. But to step inside 1705 Venables St. is to find oneself in a creative space unlike any other in Vancouver.

It’s here that brothers and business partners Cole and Dallas Chreptyk run Alterior/A Living Taste: a community-minded, delightfully DIY place for East Vancouverites to shop, create and connect.

The 4,000-square-foot building is the headquarters of Alterior, the pair’s unisex clothing label. They make wide-leg denim trousers, structured cotton herringbone button-downs and crisp white T-shirts in an onsite workshop space, and the building also serves as Alterior’s storefront, where the brothers sell a curated selection of their own products and others, including indie magazines and silver cat necklaces.

But what makes 1705 Venables special is that it is also home to several other creative projects. Each of them flow into one another within the open-plan space, affording guests a laidback sense of discovery.

There’s Vintage Sponsor, a so-hip-it-hurts vintage clothing shop; Balancing Acts, a not-for-profit that makes rock climbing more accessible — and yes, there’s a climbing wall; Book Section, a free lending library for art and design books run by a local photographer who also uses the space as his studio; and a one-woman hair salon.

Alterior/A Living Taste also frequently hosts free events, be they rock climbing education sessions or DJ nights. Just a few weeks ago, the brothers celebrated their brand’s 10-year anniversary by throwing a party that included the christening of the space’s new custom-built sound system.

“We want to create a unique experience — like you’re walking into a space that you have never been in before,” says Dallas. “We’re selling products that you can’t find anywhere else, but we’re also laying out what a retail or shop experience looks like in our world, which is a lot different. It’s a lot more community-driven. It’s a lot more focused on doing things with your hands, and a much more intimate relationship with anybody who comes in.”

Alterior moved into its current home on Venables in November of last year. Prior to that, the brothers — who got their first taste of fashion by working at the streetwear shop Livestock — operated out of a space just down the street for two and a half years. They’d wanted a physical headquarters and retail shop for quite some time, so it was something of a dream come true; still, they knew from the beginning that it wouldn’t last long, because the building was slated for development.

Even with that, they decided that moving into a temporary space that was more affordable — they were given a deal on rent because it was a tear-down — was better than having too much overhead or having no space at all.

When they were told that they’d have to vacate their original home, they began looking for a new space, once again coming up against rents that they couldn’t afford. That is, until they found 1705, which happened to be just a few doors down, in the former Ace of Suedes specialty dry cleaner.

Almost double the size of their previous space, 1705 has provided the brothers with ample room to produce their own garments (as well as pieces for other brands, such as Vancouver’s beloved Lloyd), and to partner up with some of their creative friends, providing an accessible workspace for everyone involved.

“It’s very much a community space that we share with other people,” Cole says, “which is what helps us manage it.”

But there is a catch with it, too.

“This one is actually a knockdown as well,” Dallas says. “So we’re in the same boat again. But it’s just the way that we are moving at this point. We know that if we can get a space for a little bit of a discounted rate, even though it’s going to get knocked down, we’re okay with that.”

For approximately 4,000 square feet of space, the brothers and their tenants are paying a total of $10,000 in monthly rent. Alterior pays the most, as it takes up the biggest chunk of the space, and the others trickle down from there.

To put that in perspective, the brothers say that when they were looking at spaces before they found 1705, more permanent options with only 700 or 800 square feet were going for close to $10,000 per month — the same price they’re paying now for more than quadruple the square footage.

“It’s definitely not ideal having to hop around every three to five years,” says Cole. “But the trade-off of being able to get more affordable rent and get a bigger, more unique space, I think, is worth it for us.”

As Vancouver’s rising rents continue to drive creatives out of the city, we risk losing valuable third spaces: low-barrier gathering places for people to do their work, and beyond that, to engage with each other. Alterior/A Living Taste combats that with a scrappy spirit and a focus on building real, lasting community.

“What we’ve found through running a space is that a lot of people here in the city are looking for connection, and it can be hard to find,” Dallas says. “It’s a store, but it’s more than that. To some people, it’s a way to feel connected. It’s a way to meet new people. It’s a way to get inspired. It’s a way to learn.”

Ultimately, it’s a place for people to feel less alone.

“We have a lot of people who come by on a very regular basis just to hang out,” Cole says. “A lot of people stop off on their way home from work. Or if they’re in between doing things or are just in the area, they’ll come by to have a coffee, hang out, and utilize one of the many spaces in here. Or truly just to come say hi.”