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OverthelastsevenyearsthefashionableproprietorsbehindHayRiversLaDeeDahBoutiquehavenoticedagrowingsenseofcouture-courageintheirclientele.Whiletheclothingstoremaynotbecompletelyresponsiblefortheriseinair-friendlyfashionistasshowingupattheirdoorsistersandco-ownersDaynaKing30andNikkiAshton31haveagoodfeelingtheirshophasgivenanaddedboosttoHayRiverswardrobes.Thestylesthatpeoplearewearinghavechangedovertheyears.Whenwerstopened...peopleintownhereweremorenervoustotrynewthingsandalotofpeoplehavetoldusthatnowtheyrenotasscaredKingsaid.ItcouldbethathavingthatboutiqueatmosphereinasmalltownhasgivenpeoplemoreoptionstotrynewthingswiththeirfashionbutIcanttakefullcreditshesaidwithalaugh.ThesistersofLaLeeDahtrytofocusonbusinesscasualandtrendywithoutgoingoverthetopsoitcanappealtoavarietyofagessizesandtastes.BeingasmallbusinessintheNorthyouhavetomakesurethatyouhavesomethingforeveryoneKingsaidnotingthattheresanaddedchallengeofcompetingwithretailersinthesouth.KingwhodreamtofhavingaclothingstoreasachildneverthoughtshewouldactuallyendupowningonebutitturnedouttobeaperfecttwithherandNikkisgoals.Wewantedtoworkforourselvesandwewantedtoseewhatwecouldaccomplishandtherewasntthisnicheofclothingstoreintown...sowewantedtollit.Shesaidshesexcitedtocelebratetheboutiquesseventhan-niversaryonNov.6.Itsbeenreallygreatitsbeenawesomegettingtoknowpeo-pleinthecommunitythatwewouldntnecessarilyhaveknownwithoutthestoreanditsbeenahugelearningexperienceforus.WhattogiveCuddlyandcomfortablethepopularBedroomAthlet-icsslipperswillbemakingtheirwaybacktoLaDeeDahsshelvesintimeforanotherholidayseason.Coveredinamassofsoftfauxfurreachinguptomid-calftheyreliketeddybearsforyourfeetKingsays.Thirty-veyearsagoArleneHansencametoInuvikinsearchofadventure.Adventureshefoundanditwasntlongbeforeshelikemanybeforeherfellinlovewiththecom-munityandsettledinforthelonghaul.Butafter12yearsofworkinginthehumanresourcesfieldtherewasstillsomethingmissing.ThingsmadesenseagainafterHansenmadethecareerswitchtosmallbusinessowneropeningthefirstgiftshopintheNortherncommunityaptlynamedOriginalsonMackenzie.ThisNovemberOriginalswillmark23yearsofsuccess-fulbusinessinInuvik.IopenedNov.11990Hansensaid.Therewasnoth-inglikeitheresoitwasanoveltytohaveanicestoreandIwouldsuggestthatourstoreisonparifnotbetterthanalotofstoresinWestEdmontonMall.Itsprettyspecial.OriginalsspecializesinuniquecarvingsprintsandivoryoftendepictingculturalactivitiesorNWTwildlifebutalsocarrieswhatHansencallsgiftwareincludingeverythingfromwinestopperstojewelry.TodayOriginalscaterstoawideclientelerangingfromlocalsinthecommunitylookingforqualityhand-madegiftstotouristsinthesummermonthslookingtopickupalocally-mademementooftheirtriptoInuvik.ThatswhenwehavetourisminJuneJulyandAugust.TherestoftheyearislocalorNWTbasedbecausewehavealotofcustomersthatcomefromYellowknifeandFortSmithandHayRiverandourlocaloutlyingcom-munitiesaswell.Wheneveranybodyisintownvisitingtheydocometothestoreandusuallypurchasesome-thingHansensaid.WhattogiveWithwinterweatherapproachingglovesarealwaysagoodbetforgiftgivingandOriginalshasastrikingone-of-a-kindpairofhandmadesealskinglovesthatwontdisap-pointHansensaid.ThebrightbluesealskinglovesaredyedembroideredandcraftedbyalocalartistinUlukhaktok.Whenyouhavea37-yearreputationforsellingbeautifulhandmadetraditionalartsandcraftsitsnotsurprisingthatthebiggestchallengeforFortLiardsAchoDeneNativeCraftsstoreiskeepingupwithdemand.BecauseitsoriginalworkthereissomuchdemandfortheirproductssaidPawanChughCEOoftheNWTBusi-nessDevelopmentandInvestmentCorp.BDICandboardmemberofAchoDeneNativeCraftsLtd.Thecraftstorehasauniqueformulaforsuccessthoughwhichincludesahelpingofgovernmentsupportandadashofcommunityresourcefulness.In1976AchoDeneNativeCraftsopenedinFortLiardasaprojectoftheGNWTtoencouragelocalcraftspeopleandprovideamarketforsellingtheirgoods.BDICtookoverop-erationsofthestorein1992tocontinuetheoriginalgoalofmarketingtraditionalcrafts.TodayBDICcontinuestorunoperationswithallpro-ceedsofsalesgoingtotheartistswithasmallpercent-agecoveringthecostsofshippingandmaterials.BDICmakesnoprofitoffthesalesandinfactsubsidizesthematerials.ItaconceptbasedonthecottageindustrywherethepeoplemaketheircrafttheyworkingroupsintheirownhousesandthenbringitbacktosellChughsaid.Wedontkeepevenacent.Itallgoesbackintothecommu-nityandtotheartists.OvertheyearsBDIChascultivatedanationwidemar-ketfortheproductstheyretailtargetingartgalleriesandqualitygiftshops.CurrentlythebiggestmarketfortheirwaresisOntariospecificallyToronto.ChughsaidheencouragesanycraftmakersintheNWTtoconnectwiththeBDICandtheAchoDenestoretoinquireaboutretailingtheirproducts.WhattogiveAchoDeneNativeCraftsiscurrentlypromotingitslineofhandmadebirchbarkproductsincludingbasketsandbowlsandwillfeaturetheminavideoexplainingtheprocessforcreatingthemtobereleasedlaterthisyear.Thisisallhandmade.OncepeopleseehowmuchhardworkistherehowpeopleputintheirpersonallabourtomakethesethingstheyappreciatethecostChughsaid.AchoDeneNativeCraftsLaDeeDahBoutiqueORIGINALSonMackenzie12TuesdayOctober222013Suite5-4CourtoreilleSt.HayRiver171MackenzieRd.InuvikLiardHwyFortLiard