FOR WOMEN: After running men’s boutique Canvas for nine years, Jacqueline “Jac” and Arlington Forbes opened Canvas Woman, pictured above. Photo by Andrew Asch.
CANVAS WOMAN
Giving a New Home to Sexy Tomboy
Malibu fashion has seen chic bohemian, surfer girl and premium-denim looks, but the profile of the sexy tomboy is rising, said Jacqueline “Jac” Forbes, co-owner of Canvas Woman, a boutique that opened recently at the Malibu Country Mart retail center in the exclusive coastal enclave of Malibu, Calif.
“It has masculine elements, but it has a full, feminine feel,” she said of the sexy tomboy look. On Black Friday 2014, Forbes and her husband and business partner, Arlington Forbes, opened Canvas Woman in a 640-square-foot space that formerly housed a location for a Henry Beguelin boutique.
Canvas Woman is located across a courtyard from Canvas, its brother store. The Forbeses have been curating the sexy tomboy look at Canvas, a high-end men’s boutique, for nine years. A section of the two-story Canvas was formerly devoted to the tomboy look, which is inspired by menswear but tailored for a woman. The Forbeses opened Canvas Woman to give full expression to the look as well as a timeless, classic style.
Popular items sold at Canvas Woman include shirts by Nili Lotan. Shirts from the New York–headquartered brandretail for $215 at Canvas Woman. Arlington Forbes said that the shirts’ fabric is very soft and it offers a tailored fit. It could be dressed up for going out or be worn casually.
Another popular item is the “Pedal Star” jeans by the Closed label, which retail for $285. Like the Nili Lotan shirts, the jeans have a soft, well-worn feeling. At Canvas, the Forbeses are building an in-house brand for men’s styles, named Canvas . Malibu. Eventually, they also hope to make women’s looks for the Canvas . Malibu brand.
Canvas Woman showcases pieces from women artists from the Los Angeles area. Also in the store are limited-edition surfboards bearing Andy Warhol art and poster-sized portraits of music stars such as Bob Marley, Debbie Harry and Mick Jagger. All were photographed by Allan Tannenbaum, a photographer who gained notoriety for capturing images of the emerging music scenes of New York City of the 1970s. The gallery-style boutique also features flowers arranged by Jac Forbes. Typically on the shop’s sound system are classic Brazilian pop and Bossa Nova, some of Jac’s favorite music.
“It is important to offer something more than a shopping experience,” she said. “Canvas has made a cultural experience that starts conversations.”
