• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Downtown Squamish BIA

Downtown Squamish BIA

Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association

  • Explore
    • Shop
    • Eat
    • Stay
    • Play
    • Services
    • Points of Interest
  • News
  • Events
  • Squamish Mural Walk
    • The Artists
    • Mural Walk Map
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us

WHO IS THE HIVE HOME AND GIFTS & QUEEN BEE BOUDOIR: THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BUSINESS

June 24, 2021News

Hive Home and Gifts & Queen Bee Boudoir – Owner, Melissa Pearson

Written by Stacy Thomas

Photography by Angela Bliss Photography

When Melissa Pearson and her partner moved to Squamish in 2012, there wasn’t much of a fetish/burlesque scene to speak of, with one or two events happening per year like the famous James Bondage night that had its last hurrah in 2013. Having worked at one of Vancouver’s longest running fetish nights, Pearson set about rekindling that fire in Squamish, and started to host her own fundraising lingerie and burlesque nights, putting six on between 2018 and the start of the pandemic. 

“Once we can have indoor events again, I really want to get back into doing that,” Pearson says. “Because it was so empowering; we used all local models, it’s just so uplifting to see – at first the models would be so self-conscious about getting onstage in lingerie, but then by the end of it their confidence was just beaming through them, and it was just so amazing to see that shift in people.”

Since the lingerie shows have taken a pause, she’s taken the opportunity to find a different outlet for that empowerment: Queen Bee Boudoir, which she opened in the back of her other shop, Hive Home & Gifts. It’s the only lingerie shop in the Sea to Sky, and Pearson says it shows in the reaction she gets from her very regular customers and the way the shop has taken off. 

“Almost daily I have a customer come in and tell me how thankful they are that the store’s here and that we’re doing what we’re doing, and that their confidence is increasing so much, and they never thought they’d be a lingerie person, but how their mindset has really shifted in that. Just the general feel of coming in the store, me and my employees are very welcoming and open, really taking the time with each person individually to find out what their specific preferences are when it comes to that stuff.”

Not only that, Pearson has partnered with Angela Bliss Photography and is now doing boudoir photography, another project that has found a huge amount of traction, even hosting “marathon” boudoir photo shoots, and shooting in the forest or the new studio she’s outfitted in her home.

It all appeals to her creative side, and between planning events, sourcing local lingerie makers and setting up photo shoots, she still finds time to work on her “goth garden” and hang out with her dog. And, she sews her own pieces, too. Think faux fur, and yes, they are available in the store. 

But what’s this busy bee most proud of? 

“Just seeing everybody glow and shine; it’s invigorating. Every body is royalty.”

 

Get in touch

Footer

CONTACT

PO Box 2597,
Squamish, B.C. V8B 0B7
info@downtownsquamish.com

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Lets paws and take a moment to appreciate @eaglevi Lets paws and take a moment to appreciate @eagleviewvet 🐾 ⁠
⁠
Thank you for taking care of Squamish's furry friends 🐶 🐈️
Events happening in #downtownsquamish this week! ⁠
⁠
@cliffsidecidersquamish is back with another September Cozy Session on September 13th! ⁠
⁠
@peckinpahbbq is hosting 3 days of punk rock from September 14th-16th.⁠
⁠
@meensquamish is popping up at @cordeliaslocket again this week with dumplings and cold noodles. ⁠
⁠
@littlebookshopsquamish s hosting a story time with Zoey on September 17th from 10AM to 10:30AM. ⁠
⁠
@squamishpubliclibrary has many awesome events going on this week. Head to the link in their bio for more details! ⁠
⁠
Find out more information on these events at @cliffsidecidersquamish @peckinpahbbq @meensquamish @littlebookshopsquamish @squamishpubliclibrary
Did you know that 22% of Canadians live with a dis Did you know that 22% of Canadians live with a disability, visible disabilities and/or invisible disabilities?

Sunday, September 10th join us from 10 AM - 3 PM in #downtownsquamish along with @oursquamish and @squamishtown as we learn about and celebrate our community members who live with disabilities.

We will be learning about the District of Squamish Accessibility Plan, making stops along the way for discussions, demonstrations and more!
Shorter days and colder nights ahead 🏔 The vie Shorter days and colder nights ahead 🏔

The view of Diamond Head from #downtownsquamish is truly breathtaking. 

📷: @aka_architecture
Drooling over @saltedvine 🤤⁠ ⁠ Dive into a Drooling over @saltedvine 🤤⁠
⁠
Dive into a genuine 'Farm to Table' experience in the heart of #downtownsquamish 🍝⁠
⁠
Bubble tea & Chinese food anyone? Visit @dragonter Bubble tea & Chinese food anyone? Visit @dragonterracesquamish in #downtownsquamish for your next fix 🍲
©2023 downtownsquamish.com | website by Whitespace + Mintstone