Who we are
Originally established in 1977 and with three locations, Wear Else is one of Vancouver’s most recognized and awarded women’s fashion boutiques. A stylish, one stop wardrobe destination, WE carry work, play and party clothes created by today’s most sought-after designers.
Wear Else president, Zahra Mamdani, purchased the company in 2007 and has since infused the brand with contemporary, on trend style. With a keen eye for cutting edge fashion fused with supreme wearability, Zahra personally selects every item that makes it onto the Wear Else racks.
With boutiques in Vancouver, BC located in tony Park Royal Mall, Oakridge Shopping Centre and on West 4th Avenue, Wear Else’s service luxuries, styling expertise, and complimentary personal shopping experience are second to none.
Zahra Mamdani, President
Not your average fashionista, Wear Else president, Zahra Mamdani, boasts a Bachelor of Science degree from UBC and a Masters of Science degree from Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard, she went to work for the World Health Organization in Geneva and then joined McKinsey & Company’s New York office where she consulted to the Fortune 500 on business strategy. When Zahra returned to Vancouver in 1998 she worked in the corporate finance department at Ernst & Young and then as a venture capitalist for GrowthWorks Capital before joining her family’s business, Retirement Concepts.
In 2007, Zahra’s love of fashion and desire to own her own business took over and she partnered with her family, to form Jamal Retail Ventures Inc and purchase Wear Else.
Zahra was a founding board member of the BC Chapter of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and is currently a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) BC Chapter. Zahra presents seminars to business leadership and non-profit groups about how to look great and work better. A very active member of her community she is on the board of the Aga Khan foundation Canada.
Zahra lives in West Vancouver with her husband and three young children.
