Hello Ottawa

Meet Emilia, owner of Lilac Lingerie, a boutique lingerie store in Westboro. When Emilia contacted me about being profiled she was worried about talking about her business too much: “I don’t want to come across like I’m just doing this to promote the store,” she said, “but the store is my life! If we talk about me we’ll have to talk about the store.” And, it’s true! As a local small business owner, Emilia and her family are devoted to the success of her shop, which focuses on providing affordable, high-quality lingerie.

Aside from being a business owner, though, Emilia is also a mom, a clubber, a Bulgarian ex-pat, and self-described “devoted redhead.” We did her photos in her store – of course! – and on Britannia Beach, one of her favourite places in the city. Read on to find out more about Emilia and her experience in Ottawa.

Tell me about yourself!

My name is Emilia, and I moved to Canada about 10 years ago. I’m from Eastern Europe, but Ottawa is my home now. Originally we were thinking about just being here for a few years and then travelling the world, but my husband found a very good job and I went to school at the University of Ottawa. When I finished school I felt established here, we bought a house, had a daughter, and now we have a business. So we’re pretty much staying. We’ve gotten used to Ottawa, and we don’t want to move. I grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria, which is a much bigger city than Ottawa. But I like that it’s not as busy here. Sofia is very intense, and very condensed. There are a lot of people in a very small space.

I went to university for communications, worked a little bit in that field in the private sector, in non-profits, and later for the government. In January 2010 I started my own business, Lilac Lingerie. The boutique opened doors in August that year. It’s going well – it’s getting busier every month, which is great. It’s kind of a unique thing that we offer. We do bra fittings, but we also carry lingerie from all over the world. Chemises, bustiers, camisole sets – all very feminine and pretty, and most of the time not available anywhere else in town.

What made you decide to open a lingerie shop?

Well, I always wanted to have a business. I was searching for an idea that was very personable and face-to-face, something I could build a little community around. I thought about a coffee shop, but I’m not really much of a food person. For a long time I brainstormed ideas, but nothing seemed quite right. Finally over Christmas it all kind of solidified, and opening a lingerie boutique started to make a lot of sense. My husband was very keen, so we thought about it, did some research, and then just decided to do it.

I’ve always had a passion for lingerie. When I first let it out that I was opening a store, my friends all said, “I didn’t know you were interested in that!” But a passion for lingerie is not something you talk about, really! Now I get to talk about it all the time. When new shipments come into the store it’s like Christmas, we all get so excited. In general Lilac is a very positive environment, a very positive place to be. People only go lingerie shopping when they’re in the mood for it, so my customers are always really smiley.

 Was starting the business challenging?

Starting a business is challenging everywhere, I think. Winter isn’t on my side because we still have to rely on a lot of walk-in traffic. Luckily my clients are very happy. They’re open, they like talking – they’re just very friendly people. We’ve gotten great feedback. When we opened we had other businesses on the street send us flowers and chocolate. It was very nice welcome. Our clients and the neighbouring businesses have been really supportive. They’re helping us a lot with word of mouth.

And things are going well now? Are you enjoying being a business owner as much as you expected to?

I am definitely enjoying being a business owner, although there’s no work-life balance! It’s all business – it’s taken over my life. I do try to keep some time for myself because the business needs me fresh, but it’s constant work. There’s a lot of relationship building, a lot of hands-on work with clients, and of course there’s the operational side. I’m definitely looking forward to a vacation when I can really spend some time with my daughter, my husband and my friends.

I do see that people are starting to specifically look for Lilac, now. We’re building a profile. We have done a lot of networking events, private parties, bridal showers. There are so many things that we can do. It is good to see that all the effort is starting to pay off.

I like that my business is in Ottawa, especially considering how much effort it took to get here. In general the system helps you here – in Bulgaria, it eats you. I think people in Ottawa should be very proud of what we have, that we can start business and have families and live in a beautiful city with no major hassles, as long as you are hard working and motivated.

Do you see yourself staying in Ottawa long-term?

Yes, I think so. I like Ottawa. Originally I was a little skeptical – it seemed small. But I’ve really seen it grow since I moved here, and I’ve realized that the party is where you make it. Fun can be anywhere, it just depends on you.

I’m starting to see Ottawa as a fun city. It depends on the energy of the people around you. I didn’t really discover that while I was in school, but once I was in the work force I got to know it better. I like partying – I’m not going to hide that! Sometimes my husband and I will take off for the weekend and go to Montreal for the clubs. I wish we could do it more often.

Recently I’ve been working on developing a new “musical religion,” which has helped me connect with my husband and the city in a new way. You know how sometimes people will do something for their partner that they might not do otherwise, like, for example, adopt a new religion? Well, about a year ago I decided I was going to change my musical religion. My husband is all about electronic music, and I’ve never really been into any kind of music. I decided I’d work on developing some knowledge and preference for that specific type of music so we could go to parties together. I think he appreciates it. It’s been very interesting – a different culture and style of partying. Anyway, it’s a whole new part of my life! I’m starting to learn that there is so much involved in musical cultures, and it’s helped me see Ottawa in a new way.

If I could change anything in Ottawa, I guess it would be parking. I’m the parking ticket queen. It’s something I’m really struggling with! Other than that, I think everything is fine. I have a pretty low standard to compare the city to, I guess. I come from a city that doesn’t have enough machines to clear the snow every winter. Here it’s very organized. Everything seems to be taken care of. We can always improve, but we also need to appreciate what we have.

We did your photos at your shop, Lilac Lingerie, and on Britannia Beach. Why are those important places to you?

I love water. Lakes, seas, oceans… I’ve always wanted to live near the ocean. If I need some time to think or clear my head, I go to Britannia Beach and look at the river. And, of course, the store is my life.

Thank you, Emilia! You can find Emilia on Twitter at @LilacLingerie, and please do visit http://www.lilaclingerie.ca/ for more information about her shop.