South Granville’s upscale shopping strip just got a little more luxe.

That's all thanks to Libertine, a new boutique that just entered our lives and liberated more of our shopping desires. Every inch of its gorgeous space is filled with something chic and exciting, with exclusive labels new to Vancouver like the cooler-than-thou French line Zadig et Voltaire and the slick and streamlined Milan-based Kristina Ti. Also on our shopping list: the plush wool and angora turtleneck by New Scotland ($412); Iosselliani silver and gold fringe necklace with hand-carved crystals ($244); and a couple of fluffy Maison de Vacances cushions ($111-315) for our homes. Consider us, well… liberated. —Anya Georgijevic

Libertine Boutique, 2715 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-732-7311.

Photo credit: Klik Photographic

Big screen musicals are great, but nothing beats a song-and-dance stage spectacle.

The newest production at the Stanley Theatre, Hairspray has won eight Tony Awards and the hearts of countless theatregoers. Much more than doo-wop and hairdos, the musical addresses social issues of the ‘60s as it tells the story of a starry-eyed, “pleasantly plump” Baltimore teenager. 

Hairspray is proof that with big hair and big heart, anyone can be a catalyst for big change.

We caught up backstage with one of its stars, recent New York transplant J. Cameron Barnett. Watch the clip on our Editors’ Diary.

Tickets from $29, at the Stanley Theatre until July 10, www.artsclub.com

With months of fashion buzz behind it,  Vancouver’s very first Anthropologie opened last Friday. We’ve already been twice (all in the name of research, of course).

The current selection is exactly what we want at the moment: bright things, floral things, and tribal things, starting with the ‘Lengthening Rays’ skirt ($148) for a pop of honeysuckle. When it comes to florals, we covet the aptly named ‘Top Picks’ tank ($118) with its painterly silk blossoms. And, knowing that Anthropologie carries Theodora & Callum is icing on an already amazing cake. We can’t resist a great tribal print and our current crush is the bold ‘Ganado’ linen wrap ($178).

Looks like our spring wardrobe will major in Anthropologie. —AG

Anthropologie, 2912 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-734-2529, www.anthropologie.com

See photos from the opening night on our Editors’ Diary.

New York-based designer Steven Alan made a name for himself perfecting something seemingly simple: the men’s shirt. It became his signature and the basis for every collection.

For spring, he takes on the tomboy while maintaining the crisp tailoring. Think the gamine and graceful Sofia Coppola strolling the streets of Paris, with an overstuffed Louis Vuitton tote in tow.  

We are seriously coveting the easy and breezy chambray pieces like the ‘Isabelle’ shift dress ($278) and the ‘Deidra’ skirt ($198).

Let’s hear it for the boy. —AG

At Oliver and Lilly’s, 1520 W. 13th Ave., Vancouver, 604-736-7774, http://oliverandlillys.com/

We love a brand that manufactures locally, but how about a brand that benefits its local economy and encourages trade in Kenya as well?

Suno is just that. Inspired by ten years of collecting African textiles, two New York City based designers decided to launch a collection of beautiful separates, which is sampled locally in the Garment District, but produced ethically in Kenya.

The spring collection features citrus colour palettes and tropical prints on easy, feminine shapes. Tipped to be one of the hottest new fashion brands, we’d suggest you get in there fast. —ASI

Exclusively at Violet Boutique, 3012 Granville St., Vancouver, http://violetboutique.ca/

We’ve come to understand the inner workings of our mind (thanks therapist), but the source of our seasonal itchy scalp and sometimes lackluster locks remains a mystery—time to get to the root of the problem.

Give yourself hair and scalp therapy at Julien Grenier. The 30-minute treatment starts with a scalp analysis using a microscope for your mane called a Capilliscope to diagnose the health of your head, then a lengthy head massage with essential oils stimulates circulation in the scalp (not to mention relaxation in the mind), and finally hair is washed and problem areas treated with specially prescribed products from French line Rene Furterer.

That’s facing an issue head on.

$55 at Julien Grenier Salon & Aesthetics, 1062 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-689-1202, www.juliengreniersalon.com

What is Will without Grace?

A ruthless real estate agent named Ricky Roma.

Eric McCormack, the Canuck thespian behind TV’s Will Truman, will grace the stage in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s rendering of Glengarry Glen Ross opening tomorrow. With its foul, fast-talking Mamet speak, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play is sure to take your mind off the slow housing market.

That and McCormack’s cuteness. Sold!

Glengarry Glen Ross runs July 22-August 22 at the Stanley Theatre, 2750 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-687-1644, tickets from $25, www.artsclub.com

Vitamin Daily Vancouver reader Elizabeth wrote, “Hi there, I'm looking for a nice wine and champagne cooler or ice bucket for my boyfriend. Ideally, I'd be able to have it monogrammed. Do you have any suggestions as to where I should go? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks very much.”

Herewith, our picks for cool coolers at three different price points:

For the gadget guy who favours function over flash, the Vacu Vin champagne cooler comes with a removable, reusable insert that chills champagne in five minutes flat sans ice. $64.99 at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca

Liberty’s silver champagne bucket is perfect for the regal gent. The front features an elegant engraved crest with a spot in the centre for adding your own monogram. $149 at Liberty, 1635 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-682-7499, www.libertyinside.com

A mod man will love the slick and shiny stainless steel cooler by Alessi with room for more than one bottle and a bigger, bolder engraving. $336 at Inform Interiors, 50 Water St., Vancouver, 604-682-3868, www.informinteriors.com

Sade’s sexy voice is what we really want, but we’ll settle for her super smooth hairdo.

Helping us emulate her frizz-free style circa 1984 is Calm Down grooming butter by Vancouver’s Eli Manuel. Rub the smallest amount of the lightweight cream—which happens to smell like scrumptious vanilla—into your palm, and then run your hands over your hair, finishing with a pat down of those flyaways closest to your part.

A license to love (your locks), insurance to hold (those hairs in place).

$26 at Tao Salon, 1523 W. Eigth Ave., Vancouver, 604-732-7889, www.taosalon.com

It took one dress—a white chiffon gown worn by Michelle Obama at the presidential inauguration—to catapult former Vancouverite Jason Wu’s fashion career.

The same could be so for another Taiwan-born local, Joanne Hu. The challenge to Kwantlen's fashion design students was to design a dress that Lara Osen, owner of Misch, might buy for her boutique. The resulting silk charmeuse dress in military green so impressed Osen that she’s selling that very dress alongside Alexander Wang and Phillip Lim for spring.

Now that’s the power of one.

$595 at Misch, 2960 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-731-1017, www.misch.ca