Health & Heels - Winter 2021-2022

wellness & beauty
Shira on Fringe
By Shira Walden
Everybody always asks me how I got into this
business. This story is more about sisterhood
than it is about a boutique.
There are two sides to sisterhood. The first
is mirroring, the search for oneself through
reflection of the other—that which powers the
undercurrent power struggle, competition,
and insecurity; the delicate dance of love
and hate that only siblings often share. Then
there is the built-in best friend.
Tova always knew how to see the bigger
picture. The first to dip her toe—actually, to
cannonball—into the pool of opportunities,
and pull me in afterward. Into the cold lakes
spotted across Ontario, whizzing down the
steep road in rollerblades she went, and I
followed. From teaching dance to teaching
high school she forged, and I joined. In a
twisted sense of fate she got divorced, as did
I the same calendar year. Much like brethren
sharing a foxhole, we sought solace in each
other. The unconditional love, mutual respect
of sisterhood grew, and the competition
faded into dust of the past immaturity.
Tova and I have a yin-yang thing going on.
She is the Coke to my Sprite, the sweet red
wine to my dry white, and most importantly,
the air to my fire. What we discovered here is
that together our differences create a more
wholesome result. So Tova shared Fringe with
me and eight months later we transformed it
to Sisters on Fringe with two locations, one in
Toronto and one in south Florida.
Fringe is a place where two sisters curate
a collection of modest fashion for their
communities. The racks are the confluence of
female entrepreneurs, providing access to a
wide range of modest fashion. The boutique
is a culmination of many Jewish brands,
bringing diversity, unity, and sisterhood.
Our motto here is dress to express,
not impress. There is this idea in pop
culture today of the ideal woman.
It’s not explicitly said; it’s more of
an image portrayed and taken in
by the subconscious mind. We adopt
this idea without even realizing it,
of how one is supposed to look. It’s
ever-present in our everyday lives,
right there in the palm of our hands.
To the point that when we look in
the mirror, what we see reflecting
back is what’s wrong rather than
what’s right. How do I know? I have
this large mirror in my store, leaning
against a wall. Standing in front
of that mirror is a vulnerable place
for people to be. The truth is, there
is no one way to look. Diversity is
what makes us whole. The sum of
our parts is greater than the whole.
There is so much beauty in our
differences. There is always a dress
that is right—for your unique shape,
for your style, and your expression.
And what I want to create at Fringe
is a celebration of life. To empower
women to look in that mirror and see
what’s right, to see their beauty and
express it.
sisters on
Shira
Tova
women owned
sister owned
Visit us
FLORIDA
TORONTO
Winter Issue
FRINGEBOUTIQUEFL. COM
@ SHIRAONFRINGE
FRINGEBOUTIQUETO. COM
@ FRINGE. BOUTIQUE
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