The Internet has been all abuzz with Toronto’s vintage scene as of late. Fashion folks from abroad have been stopping by and gushing over our boutiques, allowing the world at large to finally sit up and take note (though fashion insiders were already in the know). With new vintage shops popping up regularly, we decided to round up the city’s most notable vintage emporiums.
If your weekend plans are looking a bit drab, don’t fret. There’s still time to grab a ticket for tomorrow night’s Afrotropolis Wanderland at 99 Sudbury Gallery, an event that aims to stimulate your cultural senses through fashion, film and art, all in celebration of Black History Month.
When hearts begin to appear all around in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, you can find them in almost any form: usually paper, chocolate, hard candy or plastic. But it’s not often that you come across individual hearts made from leather. It was love at first sight when our eyes met these leather heart-shaped keychain pouches from Roots.
Last week, a smattering of Hogtown’s most fashionable trotted out to overhear the Fashion Design Council of Canada’s latest announcement: fashion week has a brand spankin’ new moniker. While the city’s biggest fashion event is unsurprisingly known as Toronto Fashion Week, it has now been re-branded to World Mastercard Fashion Week, or, ahem, FSHN WK, to use the logo’s spelling.
We had a chance to check out the Interior Design Show and were overwhelmed by the creativity and innovation we encountered. Housed in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the mammoth space was host to seemingly endless presentations, ranging from Contact Voyaging Co. canoe paddles to Tahir Mahmood’s candle holder/dinner bell to complete installations from Miehe.
The donut: once a beloved friend during childhood, it is now considered to be the arch nemesis of an adult diet. That’s not to say that we don’t look back on those days together fondly. We decided to rekindle the relationship when we came across this delectable tote bag by local designer Avril Loreti.
“We’re aiming for the world’s biggest Hall & Oates collection,” Kyle Turner says as he points to a shelf with vinyl reserved solely for the duo. “Though we do have a ways to go.” Turner — along with girlfriend Storm Luu, old pal Rob Moseley and Tamara Salpeter rounding out the bunch — owns Of A Kind, a shiny new store on College Street hawking both vintage fashion and vinyl.
Sustainability and sale: two words we love to hear when it comes to fashion. Preloved, Queen West’s staple of redesigned vintage, has filled its shop floor with one of a kind samples and warehouse stock to be sold from today until Saturday.
This week’s Interior Design Show is bound to rouse every design lover out of their January slumps. The largest contemporary design fair in Canada, this year’s show is drawing the likes of design greats Piero Lissoni and the inimitable Karim Rashid (who also happens to be DJing at the opening night party). We chatted with four innovative young exhibitors who have produced some exciting work of late.
Lately, everyone we come across either has a tan or is going to get one. We aren’t referring to the sort acquired from tanning beds or lotions either — we mean those only achieved over an exotic holiday in the dead of winter. It just so happens to be one of the cheapest months in the year to travel, so with all that extra cash saved, you might as well splurge on a new designer bikini, right?


Fifty years ago this August, an eager Albertan moved to T.O., destined to revolutionize two of its iconic institutions. We asked this former Globe & Mail editor-in-chief and ROM CEO how he would spend his final night in the city?
Comedian Seán Cullen explains what he would do if he could take in the town one final time.

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Pumped up kicksJeanne Beker struts her stuff in the city’s sharpest sky-high stilettos |
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Spandex balletTo help you fulfill all those New Year’s resolutions, Jeanne Beker suits up in the GTA’s top Lycra and luon and offers her picks for looking chic while you sweat. |
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Jeanne Beker’s top timepiecesOur savvy fashion columnist finds the hottest and hautest watches the city has to offer — just in time for the holidays. |


How this hip mom turned a Forest Hill fashion house into one of the world’s premier design companies
How the thrill from Yorkville, Robert Gage, teamed up with local salon sensation Marc Anthony for this season’s most hair raising new reality show
Canada’s daring designer reveals his top tips for decorating and why he loves his Forest Hill digs

Or, how I ended up taking a back seat to jock talk, injuries and egos
Too embarrassed to shop for a partner? — people will do it for you