By Kait Fowlie 
The Coal Miner’s Daughter is one of the small storefronts in Mirvish Village (587 Markham st), and one of the many “reworked vintage” boutiques in Toronto, but it happens to be a total diamond in the rough. The brainchild of Krysten Caddy and Janine Cockburn-Haller is tucked away in an unassuming spot for fashion, but is not to be overlooked. I met up with Caddy to check out the goods and find out a little more about her humble style dealership.

When I arrive, Caddy is making jewellery for a bridesmaid party of 7. She tells me she wants to try and make it something they’ll wear again – she appreciates fashion as well as function. This also seems to be the philosophy that dominates at the Coal Miner’s Daughter, where reworking old materials to create fresh garb is the order of the day. Caddy is camera shy (I came on a day that she wasn`t wearing any makeup – not that this was any match for her natural beauty and swagger), but confident. In fact, she could probably kick my ass with both hands tied behind her back – she is the current pillow fight league world champion. Welcome to the world of the jewellery making ass kicker who just might take over the city, one gemstone at a time.

How long has Coal Miner`s Daughter been around?
We opened last summer on July 4th. Our one year anniversary party is currently in the works. We`re planning on doing something with the other artists we share this building with. The buildings in Mirvish village are all studio apartments, so the whole area is full of artists and writers. It`s a great neighbourhood, and people like to help each other out around here.

How was the concept for Coal Miners Daughter formed?
Coal miner’s daughter is 2 parts – Janine Cockburn-Haller and myself. We were neighbours, that’s how we met. Janine makes clothes with recycled materials to create something new and modern. Her concepts involve a lot of re-working. She’ll take men’s Western shirts and tailor them to look more feminine. She also does screen printing. My style is a little more organic, I make my jewelery with earthy materials like gemstones and pearls. So the shop is here to not only share our work, but also other designers as well.

Is your stock from mainly Canadian designers?We do like to support Canadians. We have independent designers from Winnipeg, Montreal, Vancouver, and of course, Toronto. We wouldn’t be unwilling to accept stuff from the states, or anywhere else, if we really liked what they were doing.

Why did you decide to call the store “Coal Miner’s Daughter?”
The name is derived from using recycled materials, something old, and making it new. It’s about being really resourceful. It’s hard to put it into words – making something out of nothing, essentially.

Where did you go to school?
I did my undergrad in Advertising and Marketing at Goergian College in Barrie. It’s kind of unrelated, but I’ve worked with jewelery for over 8 years, and that has been what’s mainly inspired me. Janine studied in Halifax and Montreal. She worked for Mirvish productions doing theatre design, she’s always been really interested in costume design. Her theatre background sort of accounts for her interest in historical fashion, historical pieces. She’s all about the details.

What is your clientele like?
The other day this lovely older couple came in and the man bought his wife an anniversary necklace. But we also have people in their 20s and 30s. Four girls recently bought prom dresses here, actually.

What are your favourite stores in Toronto ?
Here ! … if I had time to shop, that is! I love The Refinery, (588 Markham st, at Bloor), they’ve got some cool stuff. I also love checking out the little stores on Queen West, things are always changing around there. Love Me Two Times on Bathurst (760 Bathurst St, at Bloor), her stuff is so cute. I also like 69 Vintage (1100 Queen Street West). I guess I’m only naming vintage stores …

The store is open on evenings and weekends. What is your day job?
I work at Softchoice (an IT services company) during the day, and I`m actually the current world champion of the Pillow Fight League! I`ve been doing it for 3 years. We have a show in Hamilton tonight, and next week at the Garrison, well, May 29th. It`s so much fun, well obviously you’re beating people up and stuff, but it`s so much fun. Between the store and my job and the pillow fight league, I`m pretty busy.

How would you describe style in Toronto?
People in Toronto have good style. I like to see when people are innovative and creative with the clothes they wear, and I see a lot of that here.

What are some of your best sellers?
We have these these cheesy wolf shirts that have been selling really well. Janine reworked them to make them a little more fun. I have 3 or 4. She finds some hilarious things. Like this one. (Krysten holds up a black T shirt with majestic horses running through water. The image looks like something out of a young gamer’s closet, but the shirt is reworked to suit the taste of any fashionista.) I tell her she must find a Pegasus next, that’s her task.