From a booth at the Western Fair farmers’ market, to a storefront in Canada’s trendiest neighbourhood, a London-born fashion company is marching toward its goal of becoming a nationwide brand.

Illbury + Goose is opening a second location in August, this one in Toronto’s Queen West area — named the ­second-hippest district in the world by Vogue magazine.

“It’s the most logical next step to grow into a national brand,” company co-founder Meghan Kraft said from Toronto, where she’s busy getting the new space ready. “We’ve had a lot of demand from our customers to make this move.”

The company has found success catering to socially conscious consumers with its made-in-Canada apparel and artisan-made products such as beard oils, bath soaps and candles.

Illbury + Goose also sells accessories and a range of home products, all of them designed by Kraft, 26, and co-founder Dan Phillips, 27.

The new store, on Queen Street West near Bathurst Street, is surrounded by boutiques, bars, art galleries and restaurants.

The 1,200-square-foot space will resemble the company’s Old East Village shop in London, mixing a modern hip atmosphere with a vintage vibe.

For thirsty shoppers, cold brew coffee and kombucha will be served on site.

“We’re trying to really just create a space that shows our lifestyle,” Kraft said.

The company will continue to operate its Dundas Street location — Phillips, who was born in Toronto but raised in London, is staying behind to help run it — but shipping and receiving is being moved to the new store.

Expanding to Ontario’s fashion mecca after just four years in business is an impressive feat for a company that started by accident in 2012, when Phillips, a graphic designer, created some T-shirt designs and had a handful printed at Masonville Place.

The shirts flew off the digital rack, leading to the creation of an online-only company, originally called dpms.

As demand kept growing, Kraft and Phillips introduced new products, brought their brand to the summer festival circuit and eventually set up a booth at the Western Fair Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, where they still have a space.

Kraft, who was born in Windsor and attended Western University, deferred a medical school offer to devote herself full time to the company, rebranded as Illbury + Goose last year.

Dave Cook, manager of the Western Fair farmers’ market, praised the twenty-something team for taking their business to the next level. “That was the whole goal of the market. It wasn’t just to create little spaces for people to do business; it was to percolate small businesses,” Cook said.

“We’re an informal working group of entrepreneurs.”

Kraft and Phillips are already eyeing their next location, Vancouver.

With a big chunk of their online orders coming from western Canada, Phillips said it’s a natural expansion.

“(The) vibe of our brand is very west coast,” he said. “It’s time to capitalize out there.”

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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