There are three incredible founders behind this brand – how did you three come together to build this business?

Zoe Tisshaw met Brooke Johansen while working at Vancouver bases Kit and Ace on the Project Management team. When Zoe left to start Park & Fifth she met Jenny Wright-Harper and brought her on as a partner to specialize in the sales side of the business. Shortly after, Brooke left Kit and Ace to join Zoe and Jenny as a partner. For a long time we ran the business as a group of three and once we began expanding the brand into Toronto and Calgary the team quickly grew!

What does being a female led and founded brand mean to you?

We are so proud to be a female led and founded company. While the corporate world changes and learns to be more inclusive, we feel like we can lead by example and inspire more women in the workplace. All three of us have experienced what it means to work in an environment where you are fighting to be noticed and recognized. We work hard to make sure that all of our employees get to dive into what inspires and excites them while recognizing their strengths and supporting them in their career.

The corporate world is changing for the better and offering more work life balance that many of us saw our parents have. All three of us have families or are planning to have families in the near future and believe there is space in the business world to support working parents and we as a company are working hard to help facilitate that change within our own business. It is important to us that the Park & Fifth team never has to make the choice between work and family. We recognize that this poses challenges to us as business owners but maintaining the diversity of our team and incredible skills everyone brings to the table is much more important.

How would you describe the Park & Fifth woman?

The Park & Fifth woman is modern and chic. Not only is fashion important to our customer but shopping local and sustainably is also at the forefront of their mind. She is looking for something out of the ordinary, but wants to be stylish and understated.

Where do you take inspiration from for your collections?

Our collections are a group effort. Zoe is head of design but we have a group on the product team that comes together to collaborate on a weekly basis. The collaborations are not only fun and creatively fulfilling but it allows us to ensure we aren’t narrowing the offering as we all have different tastes for fit and style. We have also started to design our own prints which we are all very excited about and can’t wait to share!

What are three pieces of advice you would give someone starting a new business?

1. Lean on mentors and peers that have experience or are going through the same thing as you.

2. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. In the beginning, you may need to do everything on your own but you’ll quickly learn that it's very difficult or even detrimental to the business to do so. Your business will not only improve with amazing team members but you’ll grow and learn too!

3. No job is beneath you as a business owner. You should know how to do every position in your business and this is something that will likely occur naturally if you are starting a business from scratch. When your business and team grows it is still important to know each role and how it operates. This enables you to lead your team more effectively and create an atmosphere centered on teamwork.

What excites you three most about the year ahead?

The past year has been a roller coaster as a brand in the wedding industry. Moving into next year we are hopeful that weddings can happen as they used to. We are excited to plan and strategize for growth rather than the volatility of a pandemic.

We are also extremely excited for our brand new Vancouver Flagship location. It’s our first retail store that has both appointment based shopping and walk-in retail shopping.

Our team has grown this summer which has been very exciting! Having a strong team is one of the keys to our success and we’re thrilled to be adding new people to the fold. It has also been exciting to see some of our original team members grow into managers and manage teams of their own!

What are your favorite P&F pieces at the moment?

Jenny: I am a slip dress girl at heart! Pair it with an oversized blazer and a sleek boot and I feel put together and confident. In my opinion is one of the most versatile items a woman can have in her closet.

Brooke: The Brooklyn Dress in Mocha is the ultimate dress to wear to work, drinks, and an event. It’s comfortable and I feel very confident in it!

What are your favorite MODU Atelier pieces at the moment?

Jenny: I am in love with my new Daisy Chain Necklace - it brings me back to my 90’s high school vibes. I also love my Thin Link Chain necklace, it is so dainty and easy to layer with all my pieces.

Brooke: I love the Gold Shell earrings and the Bear and Heart necklace- such fun summer pieces My everyday go to is the Thick Wave Rings in gold and silver stacked together!