Two Macaws is a shop that emanates the type of energy you can’t manufacture. Filled with colour, warmth, texture, and intention, the curation feels personal. That makes perfect sense, because Two Macaws is, as owner Noor Anmol puts it, “an extension of me as a person.”
When you enter Two Macaws, what you’re really entering is a story that started across continents and ended right here in the Exchange District. Before opening the store, Noor spent years living what she calls a nomadic life. She kept a base in Toronto but travelled constantly, moving through India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and eventually South America. Her travel journey started during the pandemic, when she returned to India, where she grew up. This launched a period of discovery, where she spent time reconnecting with her roots, meeting artists, and experiencing beauty in its many cultural forms.
These travels marked a turning point for Noor. “I like to say it was my version of Eat, Pray, Love,” she laughs. It brought her new perspectives and time to reflect on the concept of home and what it means to her. While in Peru, she realized that Winnipeg was still home and wanted to return to share the stories and connections she’d gathered around the world. “I wanted to bring what I saw back in my travels,” she explains. “To share the beauty I experienced.”
When Noor returned to Winnipeg in 2024, she knew she wanted to start a business that felt different from anything she’d seen in the city before. She dreamed of a space that was an experience as much as a storefront, offering customers the chance to shop international treasures and create local community. It was during a walk through the Exchange District during First Fridays that she spotted a historic building on Albert Street and imagined opening her shop there. Not long after, that space became available. It felt meant to be.
Today, the shop is filled with pieces Noor has discovered on her travels: handmade ornaments from Kashmir, embroidered designs from South America, Aran sweaters from Ireland, textiles created by Shipibo artists, and natural fragrance oils produced using centuries-old techniques in Kannauj, India, the country’s perfume capital. Many of her suppliers give directly back to their communities, supporting schools and fair-wage initiatives. For Noor, that matters as much as the products themselves.
“Values are huge,” she says. “Everything has to align: authenticity, sustainability, craftsmanship. I want to support artists directly whenever possible, and when I can’t, I work with fair-trade organizations I trust.” She’s utilized the connections made through her travels to bring in curated, limited-edition pieces from all over the world. “We don’t have ten of everything,” she says. “Pieces almost always find the right person.”
Alongside a beautiful assortment of products, Two Macaws is also a gathering space. Noor talks often about connection, how many people crave it, and how hard it can be to find. Workshops have become one way she helps foster it. In the last few months alone, she’s hosted fall wreath-making sessions with dried flowers, creative gatherings, and community-building events that draw people from across the city (and even as far as Selkirk).
Noor has always been inspired by the Exchange District’s community and events like First Fridays. Two Macaws even opened on a First Friday, and the monthly experience has become part of the shop’s heartbeat. Noor regularly hosts other makers, pop-ups, and creative collaborations on those nights. For Nuit Blanche, she even activated the vacant space next door, organizing a 10-vendor pop-up that stayed buzzing until 1 a.m. “It was my first big event,” she says. “The response was incredible.”
That same neighbouring space has taken on a new life, again, for the holiday season. Noor opened a Holiday Shop, featuring an even wider selection of handmade goods, local makers, and fair-trade items, all curated with the same care and intention as the main shop. She hopes the essence of the Holiday Shop becomes a permanent fixture at Two Macaws. We’ve outgrown our space,” she admits. “I’m hoping this becomes home.”
Workshops will continue, too. Noor loves that these events bring new people into the Exchange, often for the first time. “I want people to experience how amazing this neighbourhood is,” she says.
Whether you’re in the market for a one-of-a-kind gift for a loved one or a special piece for yourself, Two Macaws is a must-visit spot for your shopping needs.
Check them out at 68 Albert St, Unit C.
Instagram: @twomacaws
Website: https://twomacaws.com/