Shop from the designers at Toronto Fashion Week SS16
While we’ve drooled over clips, tweets and Instagram photos of New York, Milan, Paris and London Fashion Weeks, we can now bask in our city’s own live runway shows and downtown madness. Canadian designers hit World MasterCard Fashion Week (#WMCFW) at the David Pecaut Square to show off their Spring/Summer 2016 collections. Shop the designers making waves at Toronto Fashion Week by visiting these local boutiques and showrooms.
Logan & Finley
77 Florence Street, Studio 105, Toronto, ON M6K 1P4One of the first brands to hit the runway is Preloved, founded by the same Julia Grieve who hosted Global Television’s Diva on a Dime and made an appearance on Project Runway Canada as a mentor. Urban general store Logan & Finley carries the most of the Preloved collection of all boutiques in Toronto. Preloved is famed for using vintage fabrics to create new one-of-a-kind pieces. It’s the perfect brand to shop this year’s patchwork fall trend, since many of its tops, sweaters, fleece coats, flannels and skirts incorporate this crafty look.
Judith & Charles
100 King W, Toronto, ON M9N 1L3Judith and Charles met on a beach in the Caribbean – no really, they did! Judith & Charles, the brand, was created by designer couple Judith Richardson and Charles Le Pierrès. Their line is meant to provide women with clean-cut, yet modern-looking clothing that not only makes them look good, but feel good as well. From classically modern suits to beautifully structured dresses, this King Street West boutique is the perfect place to snag your corporate attire. Actress Katie Cassidy’s character who plays an attorney in the superhero fiction drama series Arrow is often styled in Judith & Charles pieces.
Spectacle
752 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1E9Keep your eye out at #WMCFW’s Access studio show for t&k (formally known as Taru & Koli and named after the designer’s grandfather and father), a collection of eyewear designed by Spectacle founder and director Jag Dhillon. The brand carries both eyeglasses and sunglasses, hand-assembled at a small family-run factory in Northern Italy. The designs are classic with a contemporary twist, featuring a rainbow of colours for its frames, from burgundy to bright purple. Paying homage to its roots, each style is named after a city in Toronto. Shop t&k exclusively at Spectacle.
Opelle Showroom
1234 College St, Toronto, ON M6H 1C2Another Canadian brand hitting the Access studio show is Opelle, designed by Toronto-native Amy Malcolm. Opelle designs contemporary-classic, genuine leather handbags created for the modern woman. The bags are handcrafted in Opelle’s Toronto studio with leather that is sourced from locals in Italy, Germany and Spain, and are a by-product of the food industry. You can covet great styles and snag killer deals – from over-the-shoulder to cross-body to sleek backpacks – at the Opelle showroom on College Street West, open to the public Friday to Sunday, and Tuesday to Thursday by appointment only.
Pink Tartan
170 Bedford Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 2K9Effortlessly luxurious, Pink Tartan is designed for day-to-night versatility – every woman’s dream garment. President and head designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran created the line for working women who want an everyday look of elegance. Shop her posh looks at the flagship store in Yorkville, set inside the 1837, now renovate 3200-sq.ft. Scottish-Georgian converted townhouse. The store also carries other brands such as Balenciaga sunglasses, Anna Sui vintage-style clothing, Common Projects slip-on shoes and many more lifestyle goods that the designer selected to complement the Pink Tartan pieces.
Andrew's
55 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 3L2Gear up for the cold weather in style! Outerwear is essential to fashion, and to longtime friends and designers of Mackage, Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan, a coat can be an outfit in itself. Us Canadians can definitely relate, considering we bundle up at least four months of the year, if not more (I’m currently freezing and it’s only October). The brand is best known for its signature sexy, slim-fitted coats that draw a sense of edge. Shop their wool and down coats and handbags at Andrews at Hazelton Lanes and stay fashionable throughout the fall and winter seasons.
Rachel Sin
804-77 Carlton St, Toronto, ON M5B 2J7What happens when you mix architecture with fashion? You get Rachel Sin, the line, and the woman behind the line. With experience overseeing the construction of a building, she’s built a collection of bodycon dresses with strong architectural lines that are effortlessly feminine. Her namesake label provides day- and night-time looks for the modern woman. She’s also designed striking blazers in cobalt blue and oxblood red colours, bold printed blouses, bodycon skirts and slim-fitted pants. Located in Toronto, her showroom is open to the public, by appointment only – perfect for some fun private shopping.
Rudsak
315 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A4For an edgy, yet classy look, Rudsak is your place to shop. Designed by Evik Asatoorian, this designer label gives classic silhouettes and styles an avant-garde update that is all the rage right now in the world of minimalism. In other words, a Rudsak black dress is not a typical black dress, but a statement one. Head over to the brand’s Queen Street West boutique for a top-to-bottom Rudsak outfit. You can literally shop for your entire wardrobe if you wanted to since Rudsak carries clothing, footwear, and accessories, including handbags, coats and jackets.
Gotstyle
21 Trinity St, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4Fellas, listen up – this one’s for you. Designed by David Kollar, Kollar Clothing is a high-end street style menswear brand that puts emphasis on the fit, detailing, and construction of each piece. After two successful hits at Toronto Men’s Fashion Week (#TOM), Kollar is now hitting #WMCFW to show off his SS16 collection. His looks are classy, yet edgy, from coated wax denim joggers to sleek colour-blocked button-ups. Shop Kollar’s current collection at Gotstyle in the Distillery, an expert boutique in dressing Toronto’s gentlemen in the best business, casual, formal and social looks.
Stephan Caras Design Inc
744 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1H4One of the designers to finish off #WMCFW is the talented Stephan Caras. Never one to follow trends, but instead embrace the femininity of women, Caras, along with his son, Kyriako Caras design chic, sensual and timeless evening wear. Shop from the Caras retail showroom located in one of Toronto’s historically designated heritage buildings, designed by the same people who constructed the Royal Ontario Museum and Parliament buildings in Ottawa. The interior was styled by Stephan Caras himself and is comparable to what you’d experience in a European fashion house. Access is granted by appointment only, from Tuesday to Saturday.
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