Meet Marilyn Hartley

Who is she? For those who already know Marilyn and her vintage shop, Rozaneh (442 Dufferin, Studio E. 416-703-6818), I apologize for breaking the code of silence. Hartley is widely known within the circle of hardcore vintage hounds and her store, which was located on College for over 10 years, has long been a legendary goldmine of one-of-a-kind finds. In fact, Rozaneh (which loosely translates from Persian as the oasis or jewel that is found when one uses light as a guide) has been such a carefully guarded secret that I hesitate to sign my name to this profile.

Hartley appreciates the loyalty her customers, whom she characterizes as intelligent trendsetters who are “not as influenced” by what the retail chains are telling them to wear this season. She wears a “circa 1930s” kimono with hand-screened irises (it reverses to orange), a creamy shawl from the 'teens, and hand-painted/etched early-plastic bangles from the 1920s.

THE NEW OLD “When I first started out on College in the dreaded west-of-Shaw section, it was just me and Rapp Optical mixed in with Portuguese cantinas, gift shops and ladies' wear shops,” Hartley says. “It's sad to see the old flavour of the neighbourhood go.” Rozaneh's College incarnation was also a victim of gentrification, when her landlord only gave her 30 days' notice to close up and move. After a year of monthly studio sales, she has finally settled into more permanent digs.

Her new location – on Dufferin north of Queen, just where it jogs at Alma – suits her fine, though, as it has the off-the-beaten-track quality she prefers. For customers who take the time to hunt her down (her hours, subject to change, are now Thursdays 2-8pm, Sundays 1-7pm and by appointment), Hartley offers goodies like hand-embroidered Victorian piano shawls, '50s linen tea towels, a '30s white plastic swimming cap with embossed wings on the side and weighted silk gowns from the '20s, all at excellent prices. And she's adamant that customers who make an appointment should not feel that they are compelled to buy something if that certain something they're looking for isn't there. “I hate that feeling, like you have to find a belt or something just to get out of there.”

PIECE OF RESISTANCE There have been many special pieces that have passed through Hartley's hands – like the cute toaster cozy from the '30s that had an embroidered butterfly and the message “warm toast makes the butter fly” – but there are some things with which she cannot part. “I have in my possession a pair of Miyake full-length white socks and the pattern on them is amazing. I've never told anyone what I paid for them and I never will. I saw them and it was just lust. I've never worn them – what if something happened to them?” she asks, laughing.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Hartley and a friend have promised to one day run an extermination business called Mothbusters to fight those awful consumers of the past. “We'll arrive at your house, we will take no prisoners and we will wear Comme Des Garons while we do it.”

PERFECT DAY IN TORONTO “One of the things I really enjoy is to head out to the little 'burby neighbourhoods that have the best ethnic restaurants. I'd go with a friend out for something like Ethiopian breakfast, a mutton roll, Afghani bread stuffed with potato. When the weather permits, I like to explore some destination I haven't thought much about before, go to uncharted territory and maybe find a park. This can be quite a hectic city to live in, that it's a privilege to have no hurries and no obligations."