The Courier talked to Corry Flader, a third-generation umbrella maker and president of the Umbrella Shop, as the company’s two stores on Broadway and Pender Street prepare for closure. The first Umbrella Shop opened more than 80 years ago. But its two outlets will shut their doors by the end of December, and possibly earlier depending on how long supplies last. Flader shared her thoughts on all things umbrella.
How many umbrellas did the business sell, on average, each year?
About 35,000.
What makes a good umbrella?
The first thing is that the umbrella suits its purpose. Even if you buy a $2 umbrella that might serve your purpose. In Japan, they have vending machines where you buy an umbrella and throw it out. So that would be a good umbrella for that purpose. For me, I’m interested in something that has quality and longevity so that I don’t have to keep refilling landfills. That, to me, has been important. So I’m looking for a frame that doesn’t break with wind or ease. And I’m looking for a fabric that has been cut and sewn properly. I’ve been playing a lot, in recent years, with different weights of fabrics but I really, really love the one I personally carry, which is super thin and super water proof and super light. And it’s actually milled in Japan.
Have there been any umbrella innovations in recent years?
My favourite is — I was the only one who brought it in and maybe more people will do it now — an auto open and close folding umbrella. You push a button and it opens. You push a button and it closes. Then, to bring it back down into its small position, it’s on a pulley system so it comes down in a gentle stepping motion versus one big fell swoop. All North American umbrellas are the one fell swoop except this one innovation that I’ve been the only one in North America carrying. But I think we’re sold out so we shouldn’t be talking about it!
What’s the Umbrella Shop’s most popular umbrella?
Anything that we called our "house brand" became our most popular umbrella because it meant we would fix it and repair it. Today, I think, it’s a $24 or $25 folding umbrella. They’re almost unbreakable. I mean everybody can break anything but we all own at least one of them. Anyone who’s carried them doesn’t go out without one again.
Do people often ask for repairs?
We’ve cultivated a clientele who had the same value system as me. And we want to make things that you can repair because I don’t believe in consumerism. You don't hear that from a retailer every day! I really hate it. My favourite [recollection] is the little old lady who phoned me and said, “How do you stay in business?” She said, “I bought your umbrella 20 years ago and it’s still lasting.”
What’s the price range of umbrellas you sold?
We generally try to have a $9.95 one. For rain umbrellas we usually cap out at $125. It’s by a [local artist]. We may have some around, I’m not sure. It’s made in-house. But generally, most of our umbrellas run between $9.95 and $39.95. For $45, you’re really getting into high-end.
What was the most unusual custom order over the years?
The hardest thing I’ve done is work with a designer that has an exact image in mind who doesn't necessarily understand the processes of the printing and the sewing. I’ve loved the projects but they’ve been the most difficult. We’ve done some very complicated [ones] with eight different panels blending together to make one design
You have a very unique sign outside. How did that come about?
The three umbrellas — Glenn designed them, my brother. He bought that property, it was about the year 2000, and he moved from downtown from Pender Street. He envisioned it and he went to a sign maker in North Vancouver who made it. He wanted it to look like umbrellas were popping out of the building.
Any well-known customers?
Everyone is well known to me. I sat, two weeks ago, with a very famous movie star in a restaurant. I didn't know who they were. Unless my 23-year-old daughter is with me, I don’t know who they are. Kerry Washington, though, is really, really, sweet. I have to always mention her because she’s always so kind to me and my staff. So thank you Kerry. But I don’t even know who I’m serving. I try to just treat everyone as a customer. I really enjoy people who respect what we do. Everybody is important to me. That’s how we’ve grown.
How many umbrellas do you own?
I’ve always had about 30. Today, I probably have about 100 sitting in my house. Because I know that these are the best umbrellas that you will ever see in your life. They will never be repeated — I doubt. So my daughter and I went shopping in my stores. And the very best umbrella that I’ve ever designed is sitting in my back seat as we’re talking. It took me eight days to get them to agree to let me have the handles in the handle factory. And they finally agreed because I had bought someone dinner once that I hadn’t even remembered. The negotiations for this stuff was crazy, but it was supposed to go to an Italian customer and I stole them. Well, I bought them. I took them out of the handle factory. It’s all solid wood — the whole frame — of the old quality wood. You rarely see it anymore anywhere in the world because of our forests… we’re just not producing it. It was probably from Canada, imported into China and re-made there into this frame. And then I did these super thick fiberglass ribs that are basically unbreakable. We’ve sold 120 dozen of these and I think we’ve seen maybe two back ever for repair. And they were people who literally ran over them or stepped on them with other weight. You can’t blow this inside out in the rain. I’ve run it up and down parking lots — you can’t break this baby. It’s made out of a micro-fibre top. So it’s very heavy. It’s almost like a heavy men’s raincoat but it looks like a million dollars.
How many umbrellas have you lost?
I lost one about three years ago in Hell’s Kitchen in New York. The next day I remembered and I went back. I asked if they’d found my umbrella. They sort of mumbled and said, 'Just a minute.' They went to the back and one of the people from the kitchen gave it back to me. They had taken it home and brought it back and gave it back to me. It’s gold lamé. It’s really hard to get that fabric. There’s probably about 40 of them made in the world.
What’s the most-asked umbrella question you’ve dealt with?
I would say it's about umbrella etiquette. They think I’m the expert on that. I would say be nice to other people. Don’t stab them with your umbrella. Don’t hit people when you walk down the street! Be nice to each other — that’s my etiquette.
@naoibh
