KALI on Craigflower grew out of a passion for travel, creativity and a love of working with people from other cultures.

KALI on Craigflower
KALI on Craigflower. Photo: Jeffrey Bosdet/YAM magazine

If you’ve been along Craigflower Road recently, you may have noticed a fun new shop, full of appealing home décor, clothing and self-care items.

Founded in Vancouver, KALI opened its Victoria shop last year. Key lines include the Canadian-owned brands Gilmour, Indaba, Baba Tree, Barefoot Venus, Simplicity and Pyrhha.

“Our focus is always about what is esthetically pleasing but also about what has purpose and value in our day-to-day existence,” says owner Sonia Kalathil.

“We also fully embrace buying mindfully so that the items we bring in are well-made.”

Kalathil brings her awareness of the social and economic diversity in the community, and many of the decisions with the shop reflect a desire to be as accessible to as many people as possible.

“Our market is really the people in our local communities,” she says.

“They are people who believe their purchases count in the way that their communities are shaped. More and more, we are looking for things that are sustainably made and try to support local suppliers as much as possible. It’s so satisfying to see that more and more of the people who come into our stores are also looking for those kind of products and asking the same kinds of questions that we ask our suppliers.”