secrets and lives —
AND THE 7 SINS
with JEAN CARDNO
t
wenty years ago, serendipity laid its hand onto Jean Cardno’s life when it presented an opportunity to open a shoe store in Duncan. And Cardino’s Shoes was born.
WORDS ANGELA COWAN
84
boulevardmagazines.com |
SPRING 2020
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PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE
Jean has dedicated the last two decades to making the business a success, and it’s clear her hard work paid off. Cardino’s Shoes is a coveted destination for both fashionable and high-quality footwear, with customers travelling from all over Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and farther afield to browse the selection. “I understood the need for the right footwear,” says Jean, a former nurse. “I’ve never done high fashion for the sake of high fashion. I’ll do high fashion and really well-made products. Some of the best shoes are made by small artisans in studios in Spain or Italy.” Driven by textures and colours, Jean loves to “look for the beautiful in things,” which she freely admits can vary widely depending on the subject matter. “I love colour intensities. I love roaming through places like Chintz and Company, and other places that still sell bolts of fabric.” A New Zealander by birth, she arrived 39 years ago to settle on Vancouver Island. But she still loves to travel. With one son locally, another in Australia and her daughter — the talented ethical clothing designer Eliza Faulkner — in Montreal, Jean loves to explore the neighbourhoods where her children live and work, and see the spaces through their eyes, always seeking the sublime.
