Miami-based multi-brand luxury retailer The Webster will open its first Canadian storefront this fall at 121 Scollard Street in Toronto. Many wondered what colour the store’s facade would become after an overhaul of the historic townhouses on the site which until recently were sandblasted back to its natural brick.
For months, construction workers weren’t even sure what colour the store’s exterior would ultimately be and it’s now been revealed — the store’s facade will be pink, similar to several other locations for the retailer in the United States. The other contender for the exterior was the colour gold according to multiple sources.
The pink facade at The Webster will complement another retailer nearby — fashion guru Nicholas Mellamphy operates his by-invitation showroom Cabine nearby on Hazeton Avenue which features a pink doorway.
The Webster’s Toronto store will span about 6,500 square feet in a building that was built in 1884 by Leeds Sheppard and it will be preserved and designed by Stéphane Parmentier, a Parisian interior designer who is also the creative director of The Webster Home vertical. The Scollard Street store will be The Webster’s eighth retail store and the brand’s first outside of the United States.
First Capital REIT owns the 121 Scollard Street building which is currently undergoing a renovation to house The Webster.
The Webster boasts a unique assortment of luxury brands and products not found elsewhere. Founder Laure Heriard Dubreuil for years developed relationships with key brands and obtains some merchandise via consignment. Prior to founding The Webster, Ms. Heriard Dubreuil lived in Paris and worked as a top merchandiser for Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent.
The Webster was founded in 2009 by Heriard Dubreuil when she opened a 20,000-square-foot store in the former Webster Hotel at 1220 Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami. The Art Deco building spanned three floors and became a draw for locals and tourists. Rather than organize the store according to brand, Heriard Dubreuil merchandised it as if it were a personal wardrobe by mixing big brands with the emerging, arranging everything intuitively by mood, which was revolutionary at the time.
A decade after opening the first location, The Webster opened stores in Bal Harbour (Bal Harbour Shops) near Miami, in Houston Texas (adjacent to Houston Galleria) , at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa California, in New York City’s SoHo area, in Los Angeles at the Beverly Center, and most recently in Montecito California. The Webster also has an outlet store at Sawgrass Mills in Florida. Each store has its own personality.
We’ll follow up this article when the store opens this fall.
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