Pop-Up Pick: sip lemonade and shop upcycled fashions at this new Toronto brand’s whimsical debut
Toronto’s retail pop-up scene is gaining momentum, with new shopping opportunities emerging (and then disappearing) all the time. We’re keeping a lookout for the temporary shops you don’t want to miss.
“Toujours Fidèle” means “always loyal.” It’s a phrase that former performance artist Amy Jenine Wong found engraved on a silver ring she discovered a couple years ago, in the bottom of a basket at a Parisian flea market. The ring became the inspiration for Wong’s collaborative eco-friendly clothing and glasswear brand Toujours x Fidèle, whose debut collection launches later this week near Dundas and Ossington. As the brand’s founder and creative director, Wong works with a team of young designers and artists to transform vintage clothing and discontinued merchandise into fashion-forward pieces. “There’s currently a gap between eco-friendly fashion and high fashion,” says Wong. “Eco-friendly apparel tends to have a certain look, like the patchwork clothes at Preloved. We’re trying to be more like [New York–based brand] Opening Ceremony.”
The theme of Toujours x Fidèle’s public debut is “Suburban Daydream.” Merchandise-wise, that translates into lots of whites and pastels, including mesh mini-dresses and silky halter blouses hand-dyed with black beans and Earl Grey tea, plus sandblasted jars and jugs from resident artist Andrea Kott. The pop-up is also an art show: instead of just browsing racks and hangers, shoppers can explore room-sized dioramas decorated with pieces from the collection, as well as handcrafted notebooks from local stationer someone.ca and dried blooms from Coriander Girl. Guests at the March 14th launch party can expect a hefty dose of whimsy—and all-you-can-drink pink lemonade.
Mar. 14-30, 2 Lakeview Ave., toujoursxfidele.com
 all the time. We’re keeping a lookout for the temporary shops you don’t want to miss.
“Toujours Fidèle” means “always loyal.” It’s a phrase that former performance artist Amy Jenine Wong found engraved on a silver ring she discovered a couple years ago, in the bottom of a basket at a Parisian flea market. The ring became the inspiration for Wong’s collaborative eco-friendly clothing and glasswear brand Toujours x Fidèle, whose debut collection launches later this week near Dundas and Ossington. As the brand’s founder and creative director, Wong works with a team of young designers and artists to transform vintage clothing and discontinued merchandise into fashion-forward pieces. “There’s currently a gap between eco-friendly fashion and high fashion,” says Wong. “Eco-friendly apparel tends to have a certain look, like the patchwork clothes at Preloved. We’re trying to be more like [New York–based brand] Opening Ceremony.”
The theme of Toujours x Fidèle’s public debut is “Suburban Daydream.” Merchandise-wise, that translates into lots of whites and pastels, including mesh mini-dresses and silky halter blouses hand-dyed with black beans and Earl Grey tea, plus sandblasted jars and jugs from resident artist Andrea Kott. The pop-up is also an art show: instead of just browsing racks and hangers, shoppers can explore room-sized dioramas decorated with pieces from the collection, as well as handcrafted notebooks from local stationer someone.ca and dried blooms from Coriander Girl. Guests at the March 14th launch party can expect a hefty dose of whimsy—and all-you-can-drink pink lemonade.
Mar. 14-30, 2 Lakeview Ave., toujoursxfidele.com ){kind=link}