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Toronto Life - The Goods

Up-to-the-minute coverage of store openings and fashion gossip. Plus, daily finds for deal seekers

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November 29, 2011 | 11:32 am

H&M announces Marni will collaborate in 2012, which means more lineups for everyone interested

H&M’s latest collaboration was announced this morning: fans of fast fashion, waiting in lines and clawing at the eyes of other shoppers for discounted designer goods will be pleased to know that Marni is on deck for spring 2012. Marni director and co-founder Consuelo Castiglioni says the brand will be revisiting some of its signature prints for women, “mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphics and adding sporty utilitarian elements,” and for men there will be a selection of items with printed plackets and lining to keep things subtle. Once again, the women’s collection will be 100 times more interesting. Check out a video about this upcoming collaboration after the jump.

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November 24, 2011 | 1:26 pm

GALLERY: Want to look like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander?

Dress like a movie character (Image: H&M)

H&M’s designer collaborations are often hilariously divisive, because fashion stalwarts don’t necessarily like luxury brands being “tainted” by fast fashion, while young, considerably less wealthy men and women love them for bringing out cool-looking clothes for 0.1 per cent of big brand prices. This time around, we can skip the fashion industry griping and usher in a wave of “not canon” criticism on online fan forums, because H&M’s latest collection—available at the Eaton Centre, Yorkdale and Bloor Street H&M locations as of December 14—is inspired by The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander. Trish Summerville, costume designer for David Fincher’s film adaptation of the novel, is responsible for the collection, and it is, as expected, black and grey. We love the tiny rucksack, basic Henley and variety of graphic Ts, and the worn-in denim jacket with leather sleeves is fairly covetable too. We’re just not sure we could squeeze into the leather pants. What we are certain of is that there’ll be a surge of pretend cyber-punk hackers roaming the streets come December. Check out the entire collection in a gallery after the jump.

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November 14, 2011 | 5:02 pm

GALLERY: Holt Renfrew has begun rolling out resort collections from Marni, Lanvin, Stella McCartney and more

Casa de Campo and Holt Renfrew present resort 2012 (Images: George Pimentel)

Last week at the Bellair suite in the Hazelton Hotel, luxury resort Casa de Campo and Holt Renfrew threw a small soiree to preview the resort collections that will be rolling out from November to January. Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction, spoke about how appropriate each item could be for trips to Aspen and watching games on the polo field, instead of, say, referencing Whistler (or even Blue Mountain) and maybe a sport like hockey or lacrosse that actually could be relevant to people who live in Toronto. Of course, this is resort wear, which means escaping to destinations where a bikini replaces a parka and, for a couple weeks every year, assuming an identity of someone who follows the sport of polo (or perhaps does vacation in Aspen—no Mount St. Louis Moonstone ski-lift passes for you). The Row was a standout, pairing a soft and airy striped dress with matching socks and a pair of black oxfords, and we loved a cat-print shirt dress from Victoria Beckham. Check out the many new resort looks from Victoria Beckham, Marni, Lanvin, The Row, Stella McCartney, Oscar de la Renta and more in a gallery after the jump.

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November 9, 2011 | 5:07 pm

H&M announces some rules for purchasing from the upcoming Versace collaboration

The word is out: Versace’s collaboration with H&M is hitting shelves in Toronto on Saturday, November 19 at the Toronto Eaton Centre, Yorkdale and Bloor Street locations. The rules will be the same as they were for Lanvin, with 20-person groups shopping at a time (so, arrive early) and a limit of two of each item per person (to deter the jerks who just turn around and sell things on eBay). We checked out the collection today, and it is a little loud—Donatella Versace has made men’s pants with alligators all over them, jackets with palm tree–print sleeves in neon, a vibrant leopard-print skirt with an image of what appears to be a sunset on the derriere (“Look here,” is what it says), chunky golden jewellery with plated animal-head bobbles, and some metal stud dresses that look like sequin, but feel like a ton of bricks (yet, despite the weight, it does seem better made than some past H&M efforts). Check out some of the great pieces—and some that are too flashy for us—after the jump.

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November 9, 2011 | 2:18 pm

Gallery: Holt Renfrew unveils its much-anticipated holiday windows

The moment has come, and the Holt Renfrew windows have been unveiled. This year, the folks at Holt’s have decided to go with the theme “The 12 Days of Christmas,” but with a much less kiddy spin. We saw an haute swan, a glittering partridge sitting in a glittery pear swing (attached to a glittery tree), and some elegant milkmaids serving milk (perhaps one per cent, since we’re getting older) to, we assume, an off-curtain statuesque Santa (hey, we’re adults). Check out the great window displays in a gallery after the jump.

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November 3, 2011 | 11:35 am

Start your Olympic-garb stockpile early: The Bay launches its complete 2012 Olympic collection

2012 Olympic collection (Images: Adam Levett)

We don’t know what it is exactly about the Olympic Games that sends people into a frenzy, but The Bay realizes that Canadians like them and has once again put out a complete collection of Olympic-themed garb so those athletes in London really know you want them to win gold (or silver). We love the denim jacket with patches ($100), the toques (approximately $20) and the beaver sweater. We’ve taken some of our favourite items and made them into a gallery below.

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October 11, 2011 | 2:39 pm

Oliver Spencer announces it will carry its women’s collection in Toronto, adding to this city’s heritage womenswear movement

Oliver Spencer womenswear (Image: Oliver Spencer)

Attention women who feel left out from the dandy man’s business plan: Oliver Spencer is bringing his womenswear to the streets of Toronto, and it has been announced that the flagship store on Queen Street West will offer the brand’s fall/winter 2011 collection. This will be the second major heritage-style menswear brand to dress the ladies of our city—the first being Philip Sparks, who has already taken a couple of successful stabs at making dresses in addition to his typical suiting. The womenswear collection includes eight pieces—dresses, coats, jackets and skirts—with feminine details that complement the men’s collection (think knits, sharp tailoring and button-down shirts). We’re a fan of both Sparks’s menswear and his women’s designs, as well as Oliver Spencer’s sharp tailoring, but does this mark the beginning of a womenswear competition between two of our favourite dandy boys? See the full collection after the jump.

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September 29, 2011 | 4:14 pm

Joe Fresh will open at Queen and Portland on October 13, and this time, we can get almost everything from the runway

Joe Fresh (Image: Kevin Naulls)

Joe Fresh, the Loblaw-owned fashion retailer known for its reasonable prices and wear-them-until-they’re-destroyed basics, is opening a new location on Queen West at Portland. The new store has 8,200 square feet of retail space and will open its doors on October 13—it will be the only Joe Fresh store in Toronto offering almost all of the Joe Fresh runway and ready-to-wear pieces. Considering Joe Fresh’s success at LG Fashion Week this past March, we’re intrigued by the promise of runway fashion—perhaps we’ll see these metallic, fur, floral and electric coloured minis or this orange neoprene coat in the mix. Whatever the case, the store will have something for everyone, since it will be offering men’s apparel, activewear, sleepwear, cosmetics, jewellery and sunglasses, in addition to the usual women’s apparel Joe Fresh is best known for (basic tees come to mind). Creative director Joe Mimran seems to feel that this new Queen Street West location is a no-brainer: “Over my career I’ve had experience opening two important retail stores on Queen Street and have been thrilled to be a part of the area’s evolution into a lively and unique shopping destination. We’re excited to bring the Joe Fresh brand to the vibrant art and cultural scene of Queen Street.” Perhaps our favourite part of store openings is opening day discounts: the new Queen and Portland Joe Fresh location is offering 20 per cent off purchases on opening day, which means we’ll be buying approximately 10 t-shirts in various colours, and maybe each of those skirts mentioned above.

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September 29, 2011 | 12:52 pm

Topshop prepares for a big British celebration for the store’s official launch at Yorkdale on October 5

Topshop is opening the doors to its flagship location at Yorkdale with a big two-day British-style celebration that will feature two U.K. bands: an invite-only concert on October 4 by indie duo The Kills at the Hoxton (69 Bathurst St.) and a free public show on October 5 by pop-electro outfit Friendly Fires at Yorkdale’s Topman. On opening day, the store will offer beauty makeovers and a photo booth, and there will be lemonade and sweet treats for power shoppers to consume. There’s no word yet on whether friends of the brand—like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller—will be in attendance, but given that there’s an opportunity to peruse and purchase exclusive items (some pieces are one of a kind—once they’re gone, they’re gone) at the store on October 5, we think we’d prefer fewer people trying to rob us of the opportunity to buy clothes we may or may not need. After we check out the new digs, we’ll be heading over to the Friendly Fires concert to catch some of front man Ed Macfarlane’s outrageous dance moves.

(Images: Courtesy of Topshop)

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September 6, 2011 | 12:19 pm

Olympic swag is available at The Bay, 325 days early

When the Olympics officially arrive (a mere 325 days from now), we anticipate it being a big event, with people locked to their televisions while athletes lift weights, wrestle and dive several meters into crystal blue waters. Fortunately, for anyone with a need for dated Olympic garb, the Hudson’s Bay Company has released its 2012 Olympic mittens, and they only cost $10. We think a limited-edition Bay-stripe Speedo or even wrestling singlet might have made more sense, but the swag floodgates have officially opened, and now anyone who needs a reminder of what’s to come (or simply of what year comes after 2011) can look into the palms of their hands.

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September 1, 2011 | 2:23 pm

Tommy Hilfiger, Jessica Stam and New York Ranger Brad Richards to attend a party at The Bay

The Bay has come up with the perfect angle to convince every heterosexual male in Toronto to visit its Toronto flagship on Queen West: bring in Tommy Hilfiger (known for preppy New England designs that are perfect for collar popping), Canadian supermodel Jessica Stam and newly signed New York Ranger Brad Richards for a visit. Hilfiger and crew will be at the Queen Street location on September 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. to sign autographs and toast to the 66 shop-in-shops the Hilfiger brand has opened inside various Bay stores recently. Toronto’s Queen Street and Yonge and Bloor locations each house a Tommy Hilfiger, spanning 750 and 500 square feet respectively, but Hilfiger’s goal is to have 90 shops open inside Bay locations by November 2011. This may mark the first time in Toronto fashion party history that more boyfriends of the boring regulars attend than stylists, affected manic pixie dream girls and guys who are almost too gay to function.

(Images: Brad Richards, Benjamin Reed; Jessica Stam, hope; Tommy Hilfiger, denmarkdesignskole)

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August 4, 2011 | 5:00 pm

We don’t “die,” but Rachel Zoe is still coming to Holt Renfrew in August

Rachel Zoe, stylist to the stars and subject of a Bravo show called the Rachel Zoe Project, will be in Toronto on Monday, Aug. 15 at the Bloor Street Holt Renfrew from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to launch her new collection of women’s clothing, footwear and handbags. It’s not unusual for Bravo stars to have side projects (who can forget Real Housewives of New York’s Countess von Auto-Tune Luann’s and Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kim Zolciak’s singing “careers”?), which is why we’re not caught off guard by Zoe’s high-end debut (after all, she has already created collections for the prestigious QVC network). It remains to be seen whether people will go “bananas” for clothing exactly like Zoe’s (oversized sunglasses, wide-legged trousers, kooky chapeau, and a fur vest), but if ladies are looking to attract their very own Brad Goreski, this is as good a place as any to start.

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July 19, 2011 | 10:30 am

Uncle Otis, one of the few Toronto businesses that has matured with its clientele, turns 20

Uncle Otis is 20 years old. (Image: Tony Enns)

When Yorkville men’s boutique Uncle Otis turned 20, they had booze sponsors, Toronto’s top DJs—Brendan Canning, John Kong, DJ Serious and designer Hiroshi Awai—and a Red Bull patio packed on a Sunday afternoon-turned-evening with what owner Donnell Enns describes as “fashion types, music-heads, industry people and people that shop at the store and appreciate what we do.” Since taking over in 2000 and bringing in manager–co-buyer and fashionable gent Martin James in 2009, Enns transformed Uncle Otis from go-to street style (think Stussy and Supreme) to upscale emporium with casual lines like Dunderdon, Rag and Bone, Wings and Horns, Klaxon Howl and Kin by Sydney’s. But a company can’t typically last 20 years without encountering a few bumps, and Uncle Otis saw its share—from recessions to inflation to staff changes—but the store survived and prospered through a period fuelled by what Enns calls “naïveté.”

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July 11, 2011 | 1:49 pm

Club Monaco likes men—a lot—beginning this October

Toronto dudes disappointed with the news that the city’s first J. Crew store will be ladies only should be happy to learn that Club Monaco has opted to do something for those oh-so hard-done-by fellas, much like Ben Sherman’s latest “let’s hear it for the boy” endeavour. The store’s flagship locations on Bloor Street and in New York City’s Flatiron District will retool their men’s sections this October, partnering with Michael Williams—founder of the popular menswear blog A Continuous Lean—to bring in brands like Wolverine footwear, Archival Clothing, Cunningham Classic Sports Equipment and more. Pop-up shops and brands aligning themselves with bloggers aren’t new concepts by any stretch of the imagination, but thanks in part to Club Monaco and A Continuous Lean, this city is soon going to be rolling in Japanese selvage and military tarp–lined, um, everything

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June 27, 2011 | 12:15 pm

Tenue de Nîmes taps Canadian cult denim brand Naked and Famous for a 24-piece exclusive

It isn’t every day that a Canadian brand teams up with an international boutique for a collaboration, and since the Hudson’s Bay Company’s team-up with France’s Colette seems like a distant memory, we were pleased to see that Canadian success story Naked and Famous has launched a collaboration with Dutch denim boutique Tenue de Nîmes—but we should mention that this pair of jeans is far more exclusive than the average pair of Levi’s. Tenue de Nîmes announced today that the online boutique is carrying only 24 of the 100 per cent made-in-Canada rope-dyed pants, going for 219 euros (308 Canadian dollars) a pop. See details of this limited edition denim after the jump.

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