Squamish's Julie Emmerson is moving on, but not moving out.
Emmerson has been co-owner and designer at Squamish's MahaDevi Design since 2006.
She recently announced that the company is moving its headquarters out of the Squamish business park business partner Freyja Skye's farm on Salt Spring Island at the end of March.
"The overhead is too much for what we are making as a business," Emmerson said.
The company is offering a smaller collection of its organic bamboo clothing for its summer line and will have far lower expenses at Skye's property.
Emmerson added that her daughter is almost five years old, so she isn't hitting the festival or concert circuits with the clothing line like she used to.
For MahaDevi fans, the website is still available and Emmerson will still have trunk sales in Squamish from time to time.
"MahaDevi is still going to exist," she said.
But Emmerson is looking forward to expanding her creative horizons, which moving the headquarters will allow her to do.
She is holding on to the funky, large warehouse space at 38918 Progress Way and hoping to turn it into a multi-purpose space for creatives in town.
"It is a big, beautiful space," she said.
"I would love to get some other artists in here and get it as a shared space. There's a lot of potential on the table."
Local clothing company LittleMod Clothing, already shares the space and she wants to add up to seven more professionals.
She said she envisions a re-fashion space — utilizing the washer and dryer at the back for dying clothes — a performing arts area, workshop space for classes such as sewing, photography studio and whatever else would suit the space and its creative vibe.
The sky's the limit, she said.
"The space is expensive, but compared to some of the newer spaces that are opening up, it is quite affordable," she said. "I am just holding it in my heart and hoping that it works out, because I think we need it, as a community."
Any professional artists interested in getting involved, can email Emmerson at jules@mahadevidesign.com.
For MahaDevi Design go to mahadevidesign.com.
