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![\"Ruth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4062543_web1_260316-Anziety-1-.jpg\")
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Ruth Bonneville \/ Free Press<\/p>\n
\u2018Having an in-person store like this is just something I\u2019ve always dreamed of. It\u2019s a big step for me,\u2019 says Natalie Riccardo, owner of Anziety, at her flagship store in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving an in-person store like this is just something I\u2019ve always dreamed of,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big step for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riccardo started the business in 2019. She screenprinted T-shirts and hoodies and sold them online, using social media platforms such as TikTok to promote the brand.<\/p>\n
She chose the name Anziety in an effort to normalize mental health conditions and unpleasant emotions, and as a way to encourage people to take care of themselves no matter how they\u2019re feeling. The brand\u2019s pink tones are meant to uplift.<\/p>\n
Eventually, Anziety started offering intimate apparel and jewelry, designed by Riccardo and manufactured overseas. The business also sells a curated collection of clothing, jewelry and bath products by other makers, many of whom are Canadian.<\/p>\n
After college, Riccardo ran Anziety as a side hustle while working as an esthetician. In 2023, she quit her job and jumped into the business full-time. Since then, she\u2019s established a booth at The Forks and a kiosk at CF Polo Park, and has appeared at markets across North America.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have put so much effort into making every single little detail perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
When customers visit the flagship store, they\u2019ll walk into a main room where they\u2019ll find the loungewear, dresses, handbags and jewelry that Anziety has been offering online for the last few years.<\/p>\n
Additionally, customers will find items from three other local businesses: vintage clothing from Hippie Thrift, vintage watches from Outerpiece and charm bracelets and necklaces from Au Naturale.<\/p>\n
The intimate apparel is in a smaller room on the side so customers can browse in privacy.<\/p>\n
The grand opening weekend starts when the doors open at 10 a.m. Saturday. There will be a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m., treats from local pop-up dessert shop Melted, and the first 40 customers who spend more than $75 will receive a special gift bag. The festivities continue Sunday.<\/p>\n
After that, Anziety will be open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Ruth Bonneville \/ Free Press<\/p>\n When customers visit Anziety, they\u2019ll walk into a main room where they\u2019ll find the loungewear, dresses, handbags and jewelry that they\u2019ve been offering online for the last few years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe have put so much effort into making every single little detail perfect,\u201d said Riccardo, whose staff includes three full- and six part-time employees. \u201cIt\u2019s been a wild ride.\u201d<\/p>\n During that wild ride, her Red River M\u00e9tis community has helped her.<\/p>\n Riccardo\u2019s received financial support and training from Louis Riel Capital Corp., an affiliate of the Manitoba M\u00e9tis Federation, since starting the business (specifically, the M\u00e9tis Women Entrepreneurship Program).<\/p>\n \u201cThey have supported me throughout this journey,\u201d Riccardo said. \u201cIt has allowed me to stick to my roots and to build my dream business on Red River M\u00e9tis land, and that is so special.\u201d<\/p>\n The Louis Riel Capital Corp. has supported 34 women entrepreneurs this fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to date) with $820,506 in non-repayable grants and $1.96 million in loans, said Lorne Pelletier, MMF senior economic adviser.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cNatalie\u2019s an incredible entrepreneur, and has a great following and lots of interest in her products,\u201d Pelletier said. \u201cLouis Riel Capital Corporation has been pleased to support her.\u201d<\/p>\n As she prepares to open Anziety\u2019s storefront, Riccardo is feeling a mixture of excitement and, perhaps appropriately, anxiety.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m the most scared I\u2019ve ever been since I started,\u201d she said. \u201c(I\u2019m) just accepting those feelings and being like, here we go.\u201d<\/p>\n aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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