Saager Dilawri, founder of multibrand boutique Neighbour, first set foot in the Gastown district of Vancouver in 2011. He sought to create a sartorial hub for men who were interested in craftsmanship and design – only without the pretention. “Going into shops in New York, they felt a little too cool for school,” he tells Monocle. “I wanted an approachable shop, where someone could come in and talk to me about clothes and I could learn from them, too.” At the time, there were only a handful of menswear boutiques in the area, focusing on streetwear, premium luxury or Americana. “I’ve always been more into Scandinavian design and minimalism, and I could offer [customers] a different option,” he adds. 

He has since introduced numerous brands that had never previously been on Canadian shores, including Swedish stalwart Our Legacy. His obsession with high-quality fabrics also led him to Japan, where he forged partnerships with labels such as Auralee and Comoli. “Everything fits so well with Comoli. It’s all black and navy but still super interesting,” he says. “It always comes down to the fabric in the end.” Dilawri also highly rates brands closer to home, such as San Francisco-based label Evan Kinori. “I’m lways in awe of everything Evan does – whether it’s his dyeing process, learning about the weavers or where he’s sourcing the materials,” he adds. 

For a business that operates very much locally (Dilawri and his wife, Karyna Schultz, have gone on to open three more shops within a 100-metre radius of each other), it has a decidedly global perspective – a reflection of the diverse makeup of Vancouver and Dilawri’s own scope of influence. His e-commerce shop, often featuring atmospheric imagery from Tokyo’s yokocho alleys, has become a point of reference for menswear veterans around the world. “I’ve always been interested in photography and, when we started, most brands didn’t have an online shop,” he says. “That gave us an opportunity.”

There’s a renewed appreciation for the neighbourhood shop, for intimate retail experiences and brands that prioritise craft over scale. As far as Dilawri is concerned, this marriage of storytelling and artisanal goods is what keeps customers returning to Neighbour, and what drives the future of the broader menswear industry. “People want something just a little bit different but not out there,” he says. “They want to know why they are investing $500 (€437) in a shirt. They want to know the story behind the brand and the makers. That’s not going away.” 
shopneighbour.com

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