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To Do List

The Weekender: Canadian Music Week, early St. Paddy’s at the Ceili Cottage and six other things to do this weekend

Our guide to the weekend’s best events includes Canadian Music Week, St. Practice Day at the Ceili Cottage and a modern version of Swan Lake. Read on for the rest.

Our Lady Peace adds a dose of '90s nostalgia to CMW (Image: Scott Penner)

1. ST. PATRICK’S WEEK
This year, St. Paddy’s Day falls on a Wednesday, which is no deterrent to proud Irish (and Irish-for-a-day) folk but makes celebrating a little difficult for the rest of us. Enter the Ceili Cottage, which has organized a week’s worth of events so no one has to miss out. This Saturday’s St. Practice Day festivities will include Irish dance performances and cocktails mixed by Thirsty Traveller and Iron Chef America reporter Kevin Brauch. Head back on Sunday afternoon after the leprechaun- and clover-heavy parade for more Guinness and dance lessons. March 13 to 17. Prices vary. The Ceili Cottage, 1301 Queen St. E., 416-406-1301, ceilicottage.com.

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| Leave a Comment » March 11, 2010 | 5:30 am | Stacy Lee Kong

Gossipmonger

Greta Constantine designers visit New York but miss the TTC

In their third blog entry as guest bloggers for the Post, Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong, the brain trust behind Greta Constantine, leave New York City at the end of fashion week, but not before doing some scouting and shopping in the Big Apple. Proving that Torontonians are everywhere, the pair ran into Andrea Lenczner and Christie Smythe, the powerhouses behind clothing label Smythe (a favourite of Blake Lively) at Barneys.

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| Leave a Comment » March 3, 2010 | 11:00 am | Fraser Abe

Weddings

Ask the expert: Toronto’s bridal gown guru

Andrea Anastasiou, owner of the sparkly and elegant Yorkville bridal shop White, has been helping brides-to-be say yes to the dress for three years. She can sort through the styles and spot trends in her sleep

Photograph by Vanessa Heins

What was your vision for White?
Some of the more mainstream bridal stores I’d been to were kind of austere. I wanted the store to feel like your best friend’s apartment in Paris—a comfortable environment where we could really work with brides-to-be. The colour palette is warm and girly.

What bridal trends will we see in 2010?
I just got back from New York fashion week, and statement accessories are huge, in both senses of the word: I saw
a lot of big, chunky jewellery and sashes that can completely change the look of the dress, so you can have one style for daytime and another for evening. Corset tops in a 1950s style are also popular.

What about bucking tradition with colour?
White and ivory are still the most popular, but we do get adventurous types who want to try something different—we’ve done blush pink. We just worked with a bride who did a gorgeous celery green.

Are veils still a big deal?
A lot of girls don’t think they want a veil, and then they try it on and fall in love. And mothers tend to love veils. Really, when else are you going to get to wear one? At least half of the brides shopping at White end up wearing veils.

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| 1 Comment » March 2, 2010 | 2:00 pm | Toronto Life Staff

Shop Talk

CB2 furniture store taking over the Big Bop building

The rock ‘n’ roll vibe of the Big Bop, the raucous concert hall at Queen and Bathurst, will soon be erased, making way for sectionals, ottomans and accent pillows when CB2, Crate and Barrel’s younger, hipper branch, takes over the space. After much speculation about the location, CB2 has settled on the storied building to showcase its sleek and modern style in Toronto. Before the NIMBYs get up in arms, CB2 has promised to respect the character of the building during renovations before the store opens in early 2011. It’s exciting to have another great design store in Toronto, but even more exciting that Queen and Bathurst won’t house yet another condo development.

• Duke’s Cycle returning to Queen Street [Globe and Mail]
• Pre-construction: Toronto [CB2 blog]

| 1 Comment » March 2, 2010 | 12:13 pm | Fraser Abe

Gossipmonger

Greta Constantine designers search for American interest in menswear line

The second instalment of their blog series for the National Post finds Toronto designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine in the midst of New York fashion week. First on their agenda is a stop at a Tribeca Starbucks, as part of the process of “assimilating into American culture.” (Perhaps the trek to the Times Square Tim Hortons was too far.) Next, the two discussed The City and the spectacularly petulant cattiness of Olivia Palermo and Erin Kaplan (two of The City’s main “cast members”) while shopping at Marc by Marc Jacobs and the Alexander McQueen store.

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| 1 Comment » February 26, 2010 | 1:23 pm | Fraser Abe

Shop Talk

Shoppers Drug Mart slowly turning into the urban Walmart

Shoppers Drug Mart, the ubiquitous drugstore that sells everything from frozen vegetables to cosmetics (oh, medicine, too), is further expanding its offerings to include electronics and ethnic foods in its continuing evolution into a one-stop shopping destination.

Following in the footsteps of Walmart and Canadian Tire, Shoppers CEO Jurgen Schreiber told the Globe that he’d like his company to focus more on food and introduce more private-label lines. Photo departments will be phased out to make room for high-tech gadgets and a “youth corner” to attract younger shoppers.

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| Leave a Comment » February 24, 2010 | 2:12 pm | Karon Liu

Rumours & Rumblings

At 97 years old, Laura Secord wants a younger image, just not too young

A box of Lauras is many a grandma's holiday staple

A few days ago, we reported on Laura Secord’s return to Canada. The company is named after the Canadian historic figure who helped Brits and Canadians stave off U.S. invasion during the War of 1812; founded in Canada in 1913, the chocolatier was, ironically, taken over by U.S. investors in 1983. Despite plans by its new owner, the Quebec chocolate company Nutriart Inc., to revitalize the brand, the company is allaying worries that a corporate facelift will undermine Secord’s grandmotherly appeal. “The last thing we will do at Laura Secord is be ashamed of our age,” said Jean Leclerc, the company’s new president. “There will be changes, but they will be gradual.”

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| Leave a Comment » February 24, 2010 | 1:12 pm | Robert Furtado

Shop Talk

Andy Spade takes on Hudson’s Bay Company branding

Partners and Spade products for HBC (Photo via partnersandspade.com)

Many Canadians are proud of the Hudson’s Bay Company, passing the striped wool blankets and coats on as heirlooms, but there’s one New York ideas man who thinks our patriotic staples—and their founding company—are in need of an upgrade. Andy Spade, the husband of trendy tote maker Kate, has taken on a new hobby of late: under the banner Partners and Spade, he is re-imagining tried-and-true branding images of big retail institutions. Also on his long list are California’s Swanson winery and Target, which he will infuse with some of the imagination that helped the couple’s own brand succeed.

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| 1 Comment » February 24, 2010 | 12:56 pm | Glynnis Mapp

From the Print Edition

Super Shopper: our monthly roundup of the city’s best loot

Each month, Toronto Life Super Shopper Alanna Davey scours the city in search of its best goods. Her latest picks include must-have Manolo brogues, a gorgeous lemon squeezer and a one-of-a-kind duffle. See the slide show of all 10 items here >>

See past editions of Super Shopper >>

| Leave a Comment » February 24, 2010 | 9:00 am | Toronto Life Staff

From the Print Edition

Shoppers Drug Mart: the new general store

Shoppers outposts are suddenly everywhere, fulfilling our late-night need for milk, organic chocolate and self-bronzer. In our March issue, we track the evolution of the corner drugstore to consumer playground.