Holt Renfrew turns 175 this September, and instead of a birthday cake (so ho-hum), the retailer is celebrating with a whole bunch of limited-edition products featuring its trademark magenta hue and produced by designer brands like Manolo Blahnik, Etro, Roberto Cavalli, Alice and Olivia, Ferragamo and Canada Goose. (Our favourites are this classic Pendleton throw, this adorable Alice and Olivia peplum dress and this blazer by Kate Middleton-approved brand Smythe). For those who aren’t into pink—and are into being cozy—there are also six limited-edition sweatshirts designed by local and international graphic artists, which will be on sale at a travelling pop-up shop at Trinity Bellwoods Park on September 7.
Pop-ups are typically small, boutique operations, but 
When we think of pop-up shops, we first 
There are many reasons to get excited about the holidays, but elbowing a mom for an iron skillet during a sale at Williams-Sonoma is not one of them. Seriously, people get crazy during the holiday rush, but pop-up shops—those here today, gone tomorrow stores that have been popular for years—get us away from malls and big-box retailers, and there’s a new kid on the block: Glory Box. Local girls Natalie Petozzi and Abigail Van Den Broek have sourced housewares from Le Creuset, Staub, Breville and Pottery Barn Kids, and clothing from Versace, Tiger of Sweden and more. The pop-up shop will be bursting at the seams with stuff, and everything is marked up to 75 per cent off. This means that you’ll seem like you broke the bank on people when in reality you paid pennies on the dollar (not really in line with the consumerism of the season, but we’ll never tell). Glory Box’s pop-up hours are Saturday, December 17 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Yesterday, Shawn Hewson of Bustle announced that the brand would be hosting its first ever pop-up shop, but there’s a catch: it is a very limited engagement of four days (a true pop-up shop; can it be real?). Evidently, you get 20 per cent off if you use a Mastercard, but the real value of this temporary boutique is being able to actually find Bustle clothing, because it is scarcely found anywhere in Toronto (as of now, consumers can purchase a few pieces at Jacflash, GotStyle and Anti-Hero, and the whole collection is at the by-appointment-only Bustle showroom). Now that the collection can be stockpiled conveniently at 162 Cumberland Street, there’s really no excuse for a Toronto boy wishing he was in Cape Cod (or in the movie Wall Street) to feel naked this holiday season.
There aren’t many reasons to get excited about the words “pop up” anymore, unless they’re followed by book, or 
Sometimes a handcrafted, three-of-a-kind item can be a good way to get someone’s attention (goodbye, fast fashion), and on Saturday, June 4, local Etsy vendors are taking over West Elm to bring us everything we need for strangers to ask, “Where did you get that?”—leather bags, housewares, soap, photographic prints and an abundance of bags. We like Fieldguided’s totes (also available at Robber and Bicyclette), tie-dyed scarves from Scout & Catalogue and new and vintage jewellery by Foe and Dear. We understand not wanting to buy something online for fear of it not fitting or not being the right colour. Having a fully erected, temporary Etsy shop will make it easier not to buy a selection of T-shirt quilts we wish we hadn’t.
