The renovated Gucci store in Toronto opened its doors in October.Handout
With in-person shopping on hold for much of this year, some businesses have been in the position to take advantage of the downtime by upgrading their digs. At Gucci, a newly renovated flagship store on Bloor Street West in Toronto opened its doors at the end of October, a revamp that embodies the brand’s spirit of contemporary luxury and eclecticism.
Spanning more than 8,000 square feet, the store offers a selection of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewellery, timepieces, eyewear and home decor. Its design fuses together a mashup of stylistic elements, from traditional and romantic to modern and industrial, with marble and herringbone flooring, layered vintage carpets and walls that are painted pink and sage green. Plush seating throughout provides a moment of rest for shoppers.
The store features layered vintage carpets and walls that are painted pink and sage green.Handout
This renovation coincides with a period of transition for Gucci, following creative director Alessandro Michele’s announcement that he would be reducing the brand’s annual number of fashion shows from five to two, which will be co-ed and seasonless. In November, that translated to Guccifest, a seven-day virtual event that included Ouverture of Something That Never Ended, a video miniseries co-directed by Michele and Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant. Available for streaming on YouTube, the episodes include cameos by Gucci brand ambassadors Harry Styles, Florence Welch and Billie Eilish.
Gucci, 130 Bloor St. W., Toronto, 416-963-5127, Toronto, gucci.com.
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Men’s Gucci Tennis 1977 sneaker, $900.
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Gucci Women’s mid-heel sequin sandal, $1,160.
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Gucci GG Marmont mini sequin shoulder bag, $3,185.
Style news
DavidsTea has launched a subscription box service. Subscribers enrolled in the Quebec-based company’s Tea Tasting Club will receive seasonal boxes in the spring, summer, fall and winter delivered to their homes. Each box contains up to eight seasonal, new and exclusive blends making about 50 cups total. Also included in the deliveries is a members-only tea accessory, access to curated video content and a booklet containing tea-related information, recipes and more. Shipping begins in January. For more information, visit davidstea.com.
Ahead of this year’s subdued New Year’s Eve celebrations, the Drake has created some special offerings to ring in 2021 without compromising on safety. Three-course dinners are available for take-out at its three locations in Toronto and Prince Edward County. For the at-home bartender, a NYE Spritz Cocktail Kit includes a bottle of St-Germain Elderflower, a bottle of Martini Prosecco and Fever-Tree tonic along with a glass carafe, stir rod and glassware. For entertainment, the Drake Underground will be live-streaming a free concert and giving out prizes throughout the evening. For more information, visit thedrake.ca/newyears.
Two Quebec-based brands have forged new partnerships. Known for its swimwear, fashion company Shan has partnered with the Breakers hotel to open a boutique in Palm Beach, Fla. Shan will be creating exclusive capsule collections and developing clothing for the hotel chain’s staff. And Mobilia has teamed up with fashion designer Nathan Kong and mental health-focused organization Les Impatients on a collaboration featuring artwork by Antonio Mazza. The artist’s work is available as a canvas print and as a face mask, the sales of which raise money to help people with mental illness through artistic expression.
A new Canadian company is taking a direct-to-consumer approach to cookware, starting with knives. Kilne Cookware was launched in November by Mike Gettis, an entrepreneur who previously launched mattress-retail disruptor brand Endy. Kilne’s first launch is a six-piece set of knives, which were tested by MasterChef Canada judge Claudio Aprile and chef Suzanne Barr. It includes a chef knife, a Santoku knife, a bread knife, a paring knife, kitchen shears, a sharpening steel and a wood block. The knives’ blades are made of chromium-molybdenum-vanadium German steel. For more information, visit kilne.com.
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