Oshawa: Fashion Rebel closes after 12 years, last day Oct. 30

Fashion Rebel, an alternative music and fashion shop in downtown Oshawa, closed permanently on Oct. 30, 2026, after 12 years in business. Co-owners John Robinson and Poppy Valentine opened the shop in 2014, with Robinson handling music, including records, CDs and memorabilia, and Valentine curating the fashion, according to Oshawa This Week, which interviewed Robinson.

The shop announced the closing on social media over the weekend before its last day, less than a full week ahead. It operated with no sign and little online presence, drawing customers with 1980s British rock and racks of clothing set out outside, Oshawa This Week reported.

Robinson said business had been down since the pandemic, but that was not why the shop was closing. He said the decision was personal, that he had been in retail for about 40 years, and that it was time to enjoy time out. He said he never had issues with the homeless population downtown, but that the prominence of the situation too quickly creates a perception of the area as dangerous or threatening, which he saw as likely a factor in declining foot traffic.

Robinson recalled that the landlady told the couple when they signed the lease that they would not survive, and said the shop had been on the strip longer than anybody else. He and Valentine thanked the dedicated community that supported the shop, Oshawa This Week reported.