All posts tagged: Toronto

The Blanket Statement by The Hudson’s Bay Company

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I was invited to the preview of  The Blanket Statement in the Hudson’s Bay Company Shop on Queen Street.  The Blanket Statement is a collaboration that saw 10 Canadian designers rework the traditional Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket into coat. In addition to unveiling the 10 one of a kind coats, the event also showcased new items created for the Hudson’s Bay Company Shop. Specialty items from fashion to home to collectibles have been created by several Canadian fashion designers and artisans — encompassing everything from organic T-shirts to artisanal maple syrup cubes to women’s recycled fur accessories. My favourite coats are a toss up between Comrags and Smythe. It wasn’t just womenswear designers, Krane and Klaxon Howl created something for the guys. The new collection at the Hudson’s Bay Company Shop included custom made canoes, canoe paddles, Pink Tartan Hudson’s Bay Point cardigans, $75 pure maple sugar cube (I was astonished at this item to be honest. I even had to twitpic it.), specially made tshirts from Shared, chocolates, chunky sweaters, Virgina Johnson printed scarfs, …

Holt Renfrew Pop-up Shop is now open till December 6, 2009

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I got a sneak peak at the Holt Renfrew Pop-up Shop last night. It’s situated in the Fashion House showroom and is now open to the public. I liked the setup. The Holt Renfrew visuals team came in and gave it a “general store” store feeling. The clothing is casual with a lot of tshirts, relaxed sweaters and plaid button up shirts. Denim was the staple pant but there were a few non denim choices too. There were a lot of non clothing options too like jewellery, candles, bath products, scarves and hats. Great options for gift giving and a smart move with the holidays coming up. I love the Christoper Sherman ties, Philip Sparks curling sweaters, the kick ass Dandi Maestre jewellery and silvery hat. The clothing wasn’t as androgynous as I expected but it does have that unisex feel. There’s also a range in prices. I saw a fabric necklace/scarf thing for $22 $28 and then I would see an oversized Balenciaga Motorcycle bag which is around $2000+. Don’t feel too intimidated, walk …

Miori Boutique Opening

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The Miori Boutique opening was in my stomping grounds, The Path so I decided to check it out. This new womenswear store opened up in the Exchange Tower. I talked to the owners and learned that they are long term retailers in the city. They even had a store that I was one of my rounds in Scotia Plaza before the reno and Brooks Brothers. The woman behind Miori Boutiques is Gita Kowsari, a Toronto-area entrepreneur who opened her first store in 1990 and has over 17 years of experience in the fashion industry. Gita Kowsari’s personal flair for fashion combined with her expertise as a buyer can be found at the core of Miori’s success. 60% of Miori’s merchandise is from Canadian designers. The others are mostly from Europe like 2026 clothing, Rinascimento, Soyaconcept and Sinéquanone. Miori carries Mackage for those path dwellers that don’t want to head to the Eaton Centre on lunch. I was surprised at the selection of casual items, it was much more than I expected. I thought it would …

Greta Constantine Spring 2010 Trunk Show and Personal Appearance Photos

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I stopped by Holt Renfrew for the Greta Constantine Spring 2010 Trunk Show and Personal Appearance on Saturday. Here are some pictures I took from the event. I also found out that I have another dress named after me by the Greta Constantine boys. It’s called the Clarke. Click the thumbnail to see the larger version. I’m constantly amazed at how amazing 2009 has been. 2 dresses named after me, what the hell!!!! The Greta Constantine Spring 2010 collection that will be on sale at Holt Renfrew includes a number of pieces with a more accessible price point.

The Frocktail Party

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I wasn’t very excited about attending the Frocktail Party to be honest. I wasn’t planning to bid on any dresses but I was covering it for the blog. I’m really, really glad I went as it turned out to be a really good time. The DJ was playing good music and I ended up dancing the night away with friends and designers. This was the first annual Frocktail Party and all the proceeds from the silent auction when to Juvenile Diabetes research. The auction consisted of donated designer dresses in immaculate condition. Many people were surprised I didn’t bid for anything. I took one look at where the clothing was setup and I didn’t want to deal. It was packed with people and the lighting was terrible. Some people got some great deals and I know someone who got a Gucci strapless floor length gown for $150 dollars! I bet the material costs more than that.

Le Chateau’s Model Behaviour Windows

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Way back in October I was asked to appear in a TDot TV spot which talked about the Model Behaviour window display at Le Chateau. The tagline is “Famous Runway Icons Immortalized as Mannequins.” The windows are a tribute to those women who broke ground in the industry and changed things like Pat Cleveland, Kate Moss, Twiggy, Tyra Banks and Erin O’Conner. Le Chateau are one of the few retailers in the city that still produce window displays. Thank god for that. I find retail visuals fascinating. Yes, the Holt Renfrew Blogger Windows helped push that fascination to the edge but I had a genuine interest before that. I really would like to see how a project gets put together from beginning to end. It sounds like a lot of fun, looks like a hell of a lot of work and is so creative. I got to speak to senior members of the visual team at length during the shooting. I was enthralled learning about mannequins and one of my favourite photographers, James at Mannequin …

Thomas Sabo Canadian Launch

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Jewellery company Thomas Sabo had their Canadian launch recently at Ultra. The story of our company started in the 1980s: in 1984, the jewellery enthusiast and self-made man Thomas Sabo set up his own jewellery company with its headquarters in the historical town on Lauf an der Pegnitz in Bavaria – and gave this enterprise his name. A company that was to stand for high-quality silver jewellery with a special design quality from the very outset. I always wondered if there was a real Thomas Sabo and it turns out he does exist. The Fall 2009 collection is has a heavy gothic influence and the decor of Ultra was made to match. Thomas Sabo is famous for their charms and I’ve contemplated starting one for myself. The charms can be so cute. However, I’ve seen a some things from both the men’s and women’s collections that I like. The first three necklaces are from the men’s collection. The first necklace opens up. The skull pendant is also produced in ring format. Thomas Sabo has a …

i want: Converse Chuck Taylor Boots

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I’m always sad when the really cold weather happens because I have to put away my Chucks. It was just too cold to wear them. That’s changed this season because there are now Converse Chuck Taylor Boots. I like the plaid and leather versions. They cost $140. The one below is nylon and it’s $120. They are available at NEON, Get Outside and Little Burgundy in Toronto. You can find the leather and nylon versions in stores now, but the Woolrich Plaid will be available after November 30, 2009. http://www.neonclothing.ca

i want: Yaudie tshirts

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Yaudie is a line created by a high school friend of mine. It’s funny how lives come together years afterwards in unusual ways. Yaudie is very influenced by Caribbean roots and heritage. So, when I saw this Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum inspired shirt I was in love. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum is a crazy rum you can only get in the Caribbean. It’s Jamaican actually (my parents are from Barbados). It’s 63% but it’s fantastic in punch and other fruity drinks. They won’t allow it in Canada so the only way to get it is to travel or get friends to bring you back some. As you can imagine, it gets you drunk fast and doesn’t taste like the hell you would expect. It’s one of my favourite rums. You can purchase Yaudie Ts off the website. You can also check out the Yaudie blog. images: yaudie.com