Only a mighty few rock a signature look for a lifetime. Introducing, from our inaugural Stylebook, 13 entries into Toronto Life’s best-dressed hall of fame
A compendium of the latest store openings, hottest parties and runway shows and all the buzzy fashion gossip. Sign up for the Style newsletter for weekly updates
The Thing: this spring fashion is all about colour, colour, colour
It’s loud and fearless and showy. We like it
2012 is shaping up to be a preposterously fun year. Spring showed up early. Bryan Adams is touring again (woot woot!). And the city’s tastemakers are all wearing super-bright colours. It’s a trend inspired by nostalgia for the sporty vibe of the ’80s and ’90s: neon is back, and while there aren’t any jumpsuits, casual is the thing (sorry, Mad Men). But this time around, it’s more sophisticated.
Click here to check out our colour-crazy spring fashion spread »
The List: 10 things former CIBC insider and doomsday author Jeff Rubin can’t live without
Here, a few of his favourite things
1| My ride
It’s a 12-year-old Audi A6 Turbo. I like driving, and I’ve always had a thing for European sport sedans. When they put a stick shift in a hybrid or a Chevy Volt, I’ll buy one.
2| My hockey cards
I have thousands of vintage hockey cards. My most prized are a set of ’61–’62 Maple Leafs, which I remember from when I was a kid. They’re as close as I’m going to get to seeing the Leafs win the Cup again.
3| My anti-cottage
I love going to the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve south of Algonquin Park. A German guy bought it from a paper mill in the ’60s, and now his son leases plots for $3,000 a year. I’ve rented one on Lazure Lake for eight years. There are no motor boats, no power—just an empty campsite.
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4| My water guide
A friend gave me HTO, a book about water in Toronto, in 2009, and I refer to it all the time. People don’t realize how many waterways there are in the city because most are hidden under infrastructure.
Great Spaces: four creative spaces made for both living and working—commute-free
Toronto is a hard-working city, but skyscrapers and cubicles aren’t for everybody
By Alex Bozikovic | Photography by Michael Graydon
1| An 1800-square-foot converted warehouse near Dundas and Dufferin
2| A one-bedroom apartment in the new Artscape Triangle Lofts near Queen and Dufferin
3| A massively renovated Victorian near College and Ossington
4| A five-storey landmark house in Corktown
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The List: 10 things The L.A. Complex’s actress Cassie Steele can’t live without
The former Degrassi actress is enjoying a breakout role on MuchMusic’s The L.A. Complex. Here, a few of her favourite things
1| My diary
I started writing a journal when I was in grade school, and I’ve filled about 40 since then. I love to write—whether it’s songs or poems or dishing on people who bug me. It’s nice to have something that’s so physical and present. It’s not like working on a computer.
2| My favourite store
I do a lot of shopping at Jacflash. My style has a girly edge. I wear lots of lace and dress it up with goth jewellery and heavy makeup. Sometimes I look scary when I go out.
3| My SpiritHood
It’s faux fur from a company in California. Some of the proceeds go toward protecting the real animal the faux fur is mimicking. Mine is a grey wolf. I got my mom a polar bear and my sister a leopard.
4| My new skin colour Read the rest of this entry »
I don’t like going to tanning beds, and most spray tanners stink. But my favourite brand, Body Drench, actually smells amazing. It’s nice to have a little glow once in a while, especially on your legs in the winter.
The Thing: a solid brolly for even the wettest of days
Trying to combat the rain—or the cold half-snow that passes for April rain—with a flimsy corner store umbrella is a futile endeavour. Which is why we’re happy to report that traditional full-size umbrellas are making a comeback. The best of them is the English-made Swaine Adeney Brigg, carried by both Prince Charles and that dude from The Avengers. Note its hand-carved oak handle (also available in chestnut, bamboo and Malacca), adorned with a gold collar; its high-tensile steel ribs, strong enough to carry a full-grown woman from rooftop to rooftop; and its ample canopy of durable nylon that promises to keep you Sahara dry. $579. Betty Hemmings Leathergoods, 162 Cumberland St., 416-921-4321.
(Image: Liam Mogan)
Great Spaces: a Forest Hill family returns from London with a boatload of incredible art
For almost a decade, Karen and Richard Pilosof lived the expat high life in London. Richard’s career as a trader was thriving, their three young kids—Jordan, Kit and Eli—were enjoying school, and the family loved their Arts and Crafts house in the tony Hampstead Heath area. When Jordan was recruited to board at an elite tennis academy in Florida, however, Karen and Richard balked at the prospect of transatlantic parenting and opted to return to their native Toronto. They listed their London house (it sold to the captain of Arsenal FC), packed their bags and, after summering in the south of France, landed in Forest Hill.
Once in Toronto, Richard started his own investment firm, and Karen, an accomplished artist, redesigned the new house. The place was built about 10 years ago by the previous owner, who had commissioned Toronto architect Dee Dee Taylor Eustace to design the structure and HGTV host Sarah Richardson to decorate the interior. “It felt like a boutique hotel,” says Karen. “It was absolutely beautiful, but the owners probably had no children. It was too serious. I had to make it more family-oriented and more playful.” She added a mixture of repurposed vintage pieces, hockey memorabilia (Eli has a shrine to Alex Ovechkin in his bedroom) and show-stopping art pieces—many of which came from the Pilosofs’ extensive personal collection. It took a few years, but Toronto is finally starting to feel like home again.
The Thing: the classic British Aga cooker boldly goes digital
Good food comes at a price. For dedicated kitchen design geeks, that price is $18,000, which is what it costs to own Aga’s newest cooker, a 970-pound cast-iron behemoth dubbed Total Control. It operates like a traditional Aga—using stored, radiant heat to produce constant cooking temperatures and therefore tastier, juicier food—with a high-tech twist. This one can be switched on and off in a matter of minutes or programmed to turn on automatically at a certain time. And if that doesn’t make your mouth water, this will: an iPhone app for long-distance preheating is in the works. The Aga Shop @ Grange Toronto, 150–154 King St. E., 416-943-0242.
(Image: Liam Mogan)
The List: 10 things Stratford artistic director Des McAnuff can’t live without
McAnuff’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar hits Broadway this month. Here, a few of his favourite things
1| My Litespeed racing bike
It’s the same kind of bike Robbie McEwen used to win his first green jersey at the Tour de France. The bike is a work of art, and I’m completely unworthy of it.
2| My Fender Telecaster
I bought my guitar in the summer of ’86 when I was playing in a rockabilly band in California. Since then, I’ve used it to play with Pete Townshend when we were doing Tommy, and I still sometimes play with the Jersey Boys band.
3| My scent
It’s very metro of me to admit this, but I’ve always liked cologne. My scent is Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford. I get lots of compliments on it, which is nice, and it’s the closest I’ll ever get to smoking again.
4| Fast cars Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been a fan of Formula 1 since I was 10 years old. I still follow it religiously—I’ve been known to get up at 4 a.m. to watch races in Europe. My hero is Gilles Villeneuve, the fastest man ever to drive a Ferrari. I’m also a fan of his son, Jacques.
The Chase: an investor finds the perfect money-making east end property
The Buyer: Jeff Reed, the 40-year-old owner of the real estate investment firm Priority Management.
The Story: Reed is no stranger to the real estate market— he makes his living renovating and renting houses, and he’s taken on four such projects in the past 18 months alone. He likes the east end because there are still plenty of affordable pockets in rapidly gentrifying neighbourhoods. The housing stock is old, so his business concentrates on major overhauls, which can scare off most amateurs. For project number five, he was looking for something he could really sink his tools into: a place with a low basement to excavate, a bungalow to pop a second storey onto or a badly configured space in need of gutting. He set his purchase budget at $500,000, planning to spend about $200,000 on renovations. The idea was to make a great home for somebody else—and a tidy profit for himself and his investors.
Great Spaces: a pair of empty nesters trade their spacious Rosedale home for a bright condo in Summerhill
In the 1990s, Joe Gonda and Christine Turner lived in a 6,000-square-foot Rosedale home with five children—four from Turner’s first marriage, one from Gonda’s. When the kids headed off to university, the couple downsized to a 3,500-square-foot house nearby. But that soon felt too big as well. “There were empty bedrooms, and we never went to the third floor other than to look for the cat,” Turner says. Read the rest of this entry »
Weddings 2012 Planning Guide: Bridesmaid Dresses
BETSEY JOHNSON
The 69-year-old American designer is known for doing cartwheels on the runway, and that exuberance is evident in each of her party-girl frocks. Her Yorkville boutique doesn’t carry an exclusive line of bridesmaid gear, but it is still popular with free-spirited brides who want to adorn their best friends in sequins, lace, taffeta, ruffles and hot pink ribbon. A-line dresses, supported by layers of crinoline, can spice up the otherwise earnest walk down the aisle, and flit effortlessly into a night of dancing. Orders typically take one week. Most garments are priced between $300 and $500; no alterations in store. 102 Yorkville Ave. (at Hazelton Ave.), 416-922-8164.
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Weddings 2012 Planning Guide: Gift Registries
BIRKS
If the household basics are already covered, registering at Birks ensures brides and grooms will get a slew of special-occasion pieces. The venerable retailer, best known for its luxe baubles, also carries a decadent home decor collection. Although couples and guests can view the registry’s status online, the store also keeps an itemized checklist as a fail-safe paper trail. Stemware is always popular, but couples should think beyond glasses, like crystal votives (from $50). 55 Bloor St. W. (at Bay), 416-922-2266; plus six other GTA locations.
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Weddings 2012 Planning Guide: Invitations
CARTE BLANCHE DESIGN
Customized invitations allow the bride and groom to show off their personal style, but if clients haven’t got a clue what style they prefer, graphic designer M.J. Fontaine has prototypes on hand to get the creative juices flowing. Fontaine specializes in creating a specific look to be used throughout the special day. For an art deco wedding, she created a period monogram, a font and all the printed materials (including seating board and gift tags). She employs time-honoured styles, too, like thermal engraving. From $7 per custom invitation set. By appointment. 35 Collahie St. (at Gladstone Ave.), 416-885-5399.
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Weddings 2012 Planning Guide: Transportation
A ROLLS CHOICE LIVERY
Specializing in high-end vehicles, Rolls Choice offers three vintage Rolls-Royce limos, a vintage Bentley and a Lincoln stretch. Chauffeurs are decked out in ’30s-style livery; champagne and red carpet are provided. From April to October, $550–$625 per hour with a four-hour minimum. $325–$395 per hour with a three-hour minimum for off-season weddings. 905-841-8476.
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