A few weeks ago, I received an invitation from the Oshawa Centre to check out their newest fashions for Fall 2013.
Cue the confusion. Oshawa Centre? Fashion? Now don’t get me wrong, but I’ve actually never equated the OC with style. After all, we’re talking about a mall whose anchor store, Sears, bares a decrepit, previous-generation logo that is normally seen flashed across liquidation centres, not fashion malls. However, since the Oshawa Centre is just steps away from my in-laws, and as a shopaholic, I am an equal-opportunity fashionista, I accepted the invitation to visit the centre and check out what’s in store for Fall.
First good sign: I looked past the King Street/Sears entrance. The main entrance to the mall is actually very well designed; welcoming, architecturally interesting and in keeping with their newly refurbished look. I entered the mall with an adjusted attitude….
… and immediately, I realized that my prejudices were completely unfounded. Inside – the Oshawa Centre is chic, contemporary and frankly, quite gorgeous.
A brief history of the mall:
“Oshawa Centre opened in 1956. It began as an open-air shopping centre and in the early days included only 28 stores in its directory – just one sixth of the size that it is today. The 10 million dollar project was coined ‘Canada’s Most Beautiful Shopping Centre’ and housed the historic Eaton’s of Canada as its major anchor store. The centre undertook a major renovation into a completely indoor mall complex in 1968, renovated again in 1994, and redesigned the south end in 2009 to include H&M, Sport Chek, and Shoppers Drug Mart. Today, Oshawa Centre has grown into a 1,219,962 square foot super-regional shopping centre serving as Durham’s fashion, service, and entertainment hub.”
With fashion-forward retailers such as H&M, Melanie Lyne, Danier Leather, Aldo Shoes, Guess and Rockport – to name a few – it’s pretty clear that Oshawa Centre is a prime contender for one-stop shopping, including affordable and trendy fashion options. Colour me impressed! And, for shoppers in Durham Region, it’s a great alternative to braving the traffic flowing into the city….