Introducing... The Butterfly Closet

Transforming our treasures into yours.

I did a thing.

(Well, maybe a few things that led to this thing that maybe you don’t know about.)

During the height of Covid, my husband and I packed up and moved cross-country to be closer to my family in the beautiful Okanagan. I opened a gallery on the Naramata Bench, from which I could paint as well as sell my art. All the while, we fell more and more in love with our new digs, officially sold our Toronto home, and decided this was where we wanted to make our permanent roots; buying a very cute but very little home sweet home.

The intention: Live with less. We were here for the people, the environment, the vibe, after all. Well, living with less in a space that demands it of you also makes you realize hard and fast just how many things one can accumulate over a lifetime! Sure I’m in love with all the pretty things I’ve made mine over the years, but with the beginning of something new, you always need to let go of the old…

Welcome to:

I’ve always had an addiction to fashion, having been to the famed Parsons School of Design. I’ve worked in the industry in various roles over the decades, and quite honestly, I just love fabric! I love comfort and design and the artistic nature of it. So I did what all fashion lovers do: I spent all my paychecks on the latest trends. I bought so many clothes, too many it was (almost) out of control! Then when I first left Toronto two years ago, I brought a few boxes and suitcases with me, but left the rest in storage. When I recently emptied that storage, I couldn’t believe how many bins of clothes I still had. Yikes. Maybe the addiction was a little unhealthy…

So, the thing I did is, I turned the upstairs of my gallery into the Butterfly Closet. My closet is now a collection for you to peruse and enjoy and find that treasured piece that completes your look. There’s some vintage, some upcycled, some preloved, some new-with-tags, but all very lovely things.

It’s mostly fashion: coats, tops, bags, accessories. But, there are even a few pieces of furniture. Instead of picking out new fashion, I’ve recently started picking out old furniture and upcycling it!

Upcycling for a positive impact on the planet

I got the idea from thrifting + upcycling myself the past couple of years because as an artist going full steam ahead with my business as an entrepreneur, I could no longer afford to keep up with the fashion retail trends. Seeing so many cool vintage pop-ups at markets, I was inspired. There are so many beautiful articles of clothing out there that need to find a home, and I truly believe that we need to buy less from big stores to avoid the environmental impact from all the waste. Let’s be real, as much as I love fashion, there is fashion and then there is the planet. The planet is our home. It’s what I’ve built Art of Marina around: slow fashion with meaningful intention. The Butterfly Closet is simply a natural progression of that.

I feel lucky to have this space, and share it with you now.