Gabrielle Goguen needed to find a new place to work.
She enjoyed running her tailoring business out of her home, but started finding it too easy to focus on things that weren’t running her business. And never mind the need to keep things immaculate for clients coming to the house for fittings and consultations.
But her search for commercial space was more difficult than she anticipated.
“ I looked for about six months, and I couldn’t find anything that sort of both fit the budget and the aesthetic that I was looking for. And when I reached out to John Lafford about the York building downtown, he was like, “Well, that’s already full, but I have this space next to a flower shop I think could work really well for you.”
But there was a problem—the building has three floors, with no way to separate them, so it was take all three, or take the basement.
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Goguen opted for all three and came up with the concept for The Annex Collective, a new coworking space that had its grand opening in March.
Inspired by Soho House, an international private members’ club that focuses on the media, arts and fashion industries, Goguen envisions The Annex to be a place for creatives and entrepreneurs who may not otherwise have access to office space outside their homes, but who want to take their business or projects to the next level.
Located at 131 Main Street in a section of the Joseph F. Allison House, the renovated space features two large rooms on the top floor, eight private offices on the second floor, and a lounge, rentable office and coworking space on the main floor.
Goguen’s studio – currently featuring sparkly, fluffy prom dresses hung on a wall – is also on the main floor.
Access to the services The Annex provides comes in three monthly membership tiers. The lowest provides access to the main floor lounge and coworking room. The second tier adds access to the boardroom, the ability to use The Annex as your business address and to have a visitor, like a client, in the space. The final tier further adds one of the dedicated offices, 24-hour access to the premises and reserved parking.
Non-members can try the space with a daily rate and can also rent the downstairs office or boardroom.
So far, Goguen has attracted a steady stream of clients, including several more permanent tenants, and after a new one starts in June, there will only be two of the offices left unclaimed, she said.
“ It’s been picking up slowly and I’m really happy. Again, the Annex is not my bread and butter. It was just meant to be a space that allows me to have a studio as well. So, I’m just happy with the pace that things have been moving, and we’re filling a little bit of a niche need that Sackville had, and that’s great.”
In addition to offering space for work or hobbies, Goguen also hopes to see folks make use of the space for hosting events, like art classes.
For her part, Goguen was offering beginner sewing classes to teach people minor tailoring and clothing repair skills. But, as her business focus is on gowns and evening wear and with prom and summer weddings coming up, spring is the start of her busiest season – so for now, those are paused.
“ I get calls every week asking about the sewing classes and when they’re gonna resume, so 100 per cent, it is definitely something that will start up again in the fall. It’s just I need to focus on the other things for a little bit, and then we’ll be able to bring them back.”
As for what’s next, Goguen sees The Annex growing and evolving along with the needs of those using the space.
She also has some plans of her own.
 ”I am in the process of buying a bridal shop because that meme that I would rather start a business than fold laundry is 100% accurate,” she said. “So if that works out, we will be moving a bridal shop into the Annex as a complement to the sewing studio.”
For more information, head to The Annex Collective website.
