Canadian fashion brand Danier is in the midst of a Canadian store expansion that is expected to see the company open stores in a number of Canadian provinces. Danier relaunched its operations in the fall of 2016, and it has already opened seven stores, with more on the way.
The previous Danier Leather brand sought creditor protection in February of 2016, and all of its stores were closed. The company’s intellectual property was purchased in July of 2016, and the new owners re-established the continuance of the Canadian company. The new Danier’s focus is now on a broader range of fashions for both men and women. Product includes ready-to-wear, outerwear (including some leather styles), bags and accessories — designs are modern, fashion-forward and of a high quality (including luxurious fabrics and lambskin), and prices are kept reasonable in order to attract a broader demographic. Store interiors are bright and modern, reflecting the brand’s positioning of being ‘accessible luxury’.
In December of 2016, as well, Danier launched its new ecommerce site, profiling the brand’s fashions for both men and women.
The Toronto Dominion Centre location marks the brand’s first foray into a major Canadian downtown, and on a weekday afternoon there were several customers browsing — and buying. Sales staff noted that the store opens earlier than others in order to capture the early commuter crowd, and that the store is already a hit with many who work in Canada’s Financial District.
In order to showcase Danier’s fashions as well as to engage face-to-face with consumers, the company is continuing to open new store locations. The Vancouver market is a target for the brand, recognizing Canada’s West Coast’s strong retail sales. Calgary is also a target, and the company will continue to explore new markets as it grows.
Danier continues to partner with David George of brokerage NorthWest Atlantic to secure new locations. Danier stores are ideally sized in the 1,500 square foot to 2,000 square foot range, located in major shopping centres and outlet centres.
New Look Vision Group Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Iris, le groupe visuel (1990) Inc. The deal reinforces New Look Vision Group’s position as the largest Canadian retail optical company, and the 8th largest in North America.
The purchase price for the shares of Iris is $120 million on a cash-free and debt-free basis, subject to customary price adjustments. New Look Vision has entered into several financing agreements to finance the acquisition, including the following:
(i) a $38.75 million increase of its senior secured term facility with its bank to $95 million;
(ii) an arrangement for a $35 million junior unsecured debt facility and a $20 million equity private placement of 646,400 subscription receipts at a price of $30.94 per subscription receipt with a Quebec-based fund; and
(iii) a $30 million concurrent equity private placement of 969,600 subscription receipts at a price of $30.94 per subscription receipt.
The combined entity will have estimated annual revenues exceeding $315 million, as well as estimated consolidated annual revenues exceeding $265 million, and a store network in excess of 375 locations.
“We will be the dominant player in Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia. This should lead to greater efficiencies and lower operating costs in many areas of operations,” said Antoine Amiel, President and Director of New Look Vision.
The acquisition of Iris is expected to close on (or about) October 1, 2017, subject to customary closing conditions.
Iris was founded 1990 by Dr. Francis Jean in Baie-Comeau, Quebec and based in Laval, Quebec. The retailer boasts 150 locations comprising of 53 corporate, 77 jointly owned and 20 franchise locations. In Canada Iris has 82 stores in Quebec, 36 in British Columbia, 16 in Alberta, 15 in Ontario and one in New Brunswick. For the 12 months ended September 30, 2016, Iris’ adjusted pro forma system-wide revenues were approximately $110 million, while adjusted pro forma consolidated revenues for the same period amounted to approximately $60 million.
Lipault Paris, the upscale French luggage company, recently opened its first freestanding North American location at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlets in Vancouver. It’s the first phase of an eventual retail expansion into the North American market.
The new 1,245-square-foot store is an intuitive and logical choice, as its proximity to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) configures it at one of the major gateways into Asia. Its location along the Canada Line metro line close to YVR makes it especially compelling for international travelers.
The brand’s Marketing Communications Specialist, Erin Reynolds, explained that the free-standing location is an intuitive decision, as “it’s a type of brand that’s suited to its own stores, and the store complements the brand’s extensive wholesale business in Canada”. The brand currently has a number of shop-in-shop boutiques within stores in the United States, in addition to the Vancouver stand-alone location.
(CLICK FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP)
(CLICK IMAGE FOR INTERACTIVE MCARTHURGLEN SHOPPING CENTRE FLOOR PLAN)
Photos: Lipault
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Photos: Lipault
Lipault is distinctive for its monochromatic yet vivid colour scheme, designed as a lightweight alternative to more conventional luggage sets. Each line contains the complete set of travel accessories, from large suitcases and carry-ons to laptop cases and toiletries kits. The monochrome look and minimalist design adheres to the aesthetics of Parisian chic, while emphasizing efficiency and utilitarianism. According to Reynolds, “The brand is for the fashion-sensitive, and for someone looking for an affordable brand, targeted towards women 25-60, active urban and well-traveled.” Lipault is priced such that “the product is affordable enough so that a person can match a bag to their outfit”. This also explains why the Vancouver location has a minimalist white aesthetic, so that the colours of the bags “pop” upon display.
Lipault was founded by Francois and Karine Lipovetsky as a small leather goods company in Paris in 2005, and has since become one of the more well-known names in luxury travel goods. In 2014, Samsonite acquired the fledgling company as part of its expansions in the luxury travel market, and the brand was slowly introduced into its stores worldwide. It is now part of the Samsonite group of companies.
At this time, Lipault will be concentrating on the Vancouver location before a decision will be made to open additional free-standing locations on the continent. As McArthurGlen YVR was voted the world’s top outlet centre at the 2015 MAPIC conference, Lipault has the advantage of testing a highly-motivated retail clientele in a prime location.
*Photos were supplied by Lipault, except for the top photo, which was taken by Ritchie Po on July 1, 2017.
A high-end children’s retailer from Dubai, DBbabies, has made its debut in the Canadian market with a new boutique near Montreal, marking the beginning of a cross-country expansion for the brand.
DBbabies specializes in essentials for children ranging in age from newborns to eight years old. Co-founded by Montreal native Danny B. Haddad in 2007, the chain operates seven boutiques throughout the UAE and Oman, as well as an online store serving those regions.
Haddad saw an opportunity to expand the concept to Canada, after determining that there was a lack of similar retailers operating within Canadian shopping centres.
“Most baby shops are destination shops,” Haddad says. “We had gone to a few malls and asked the information desks where we could buy a pushchair or other baby related items. Unfortunately, they could not direct us to any stores within the shopping mall. Unless you are looking for kids’ clothes or toys, you were very limited in the quality and selection of gifts and essentials.”
DBbabies at CF Promenades St-Bruno
DBbabies stores are geared specifically to shopping malls, ranging in size from 1,200 square feet to 2,000 square feet. The retailer carries a wide range of essentials for babies and toddlers, such as strollers, high chairs, kitchenware, sleeping and feeding accessories, blankets and bedding, bath products and towels.
The stores also carry a variety of gift items and customizable gift baskets, with a unique in-store embroidery service that allows customers to personalize their gifts.
“We cater to everyone,” Haddad says, “whether you are buying something for your own baby or child, or whether you are shopping for a special personalised gift.”
DANNY B. HADDAD
The retailer’s first Canadian boutique, spanning 1,800-square-feet is located at CF Promenades St-Bruno. The company plans to open a second store in the coming months at CF Carrefour Laval.
DBbabies will also be launching an online store for the Canadian market in the months to come.
Longer term, the company is planning much more expansion in Canada.
“As we explore the market and its opportunities, our strategy is to cater to the many communities across Canada,” says Haddad. “Coast to coast, we are interested in cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary, as well as other smaller cities.”
DBbabies at CF Promenades St-Bruno
The retailer’s stores are designed in-house, with a focus on simplicity and adaptability.
“It all starts with a white canvas, and we accessorise,” says Haddad. “Our furniture changes based on the products and brands we carry, which are constantly changing and evolving.”
The stores are designed to create a friendly and approachable environment for all shoppers, he adds.
“The simplicity and structure creates an emotionally pleasant experience,” Haddad says.
Also contributing to the shopping experience at DBbabies, he adds, is a high level of customer service.
“Our services and our offering is based on a journey,” Haddad says. “Our team, environment and simple service structure is made to help families and make the entire shopping experience easy for anyone walking into our stores.”
(RICHEMONT GROUP OPENED 4 BOUTIQUES AT TORONTO'S YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE LAST WEEK -- PIAGET, VACHERON CONSTNTIN, IWC AND PANERAI)
Wealthy Canadians must love their bling — the country is seeing an unprecedented number of luxury jewelry and watch brands opening freestanding stores, and more are on the way. This month alone, Richemont has opened five luxury boutiques at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and Vancouver is about to see a number of store openings in its burgeoning ‘Luxury Zone’.
Richemont management in Toronto says that they expect Vancouver to see most, if not all of the Yorkdale boutiques open in the city’s downtown ‘Luxury Zone’ and unlike Yorkdale, these would be street-front retail spaces. Already confirmed are Van Cleef & Arpels and IWC Schaffhausen, which will both open towards the end of the year in a building that is currently under construction at 1069 Alberni Street. An Officine Panerai announcement is also expected to be made shortly.
(AT YORKDALE. PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERS0N)
(INSIDE VACHERON CONSTANTIN AT YORKDALE. PHOTO: VACHERON CONSTANTIN)
(YORKDALE, PHOTO: VAN CLEEF & ARPELS)
Vancouver continues to see luxury jewellers open freestanding boutiques. Next up this fall is Chopard, which will open in the current GWC retail space at 925 West Georgia Street, next to Black Goat Cashmere and across the street from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The hotel’s retail podium, which boasts locations for luxury brands Gucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton and St. John, is highly coveted, and Chopard’s debut indicates that Vancouver’s Luxury Zone is expanding eastward and onto West Georgia Street.
The luxury jewellery and watch retail expansion in Canada might just make sense — according to Euromonitor International, sales growth for both luxury jewellery and luxury watches is growing substantially. In 2016, Canadians spent almost $2.1 billion on luxury jewellery, up from $1.28 billion in 2011 — that’s more than 60% growth in just five years. Last year as well, Canadians spent $214.1 million on luxury watches, up from $166.3 million in 2011 (that’s 28.7% growth over five years). Demographics show that Canada’s wealthiest continue to get wealthier — a trend similar to that in the United States.
(1069 ALBERNI STREET IN VANCOUVER — SIGNAGE IS ALREADY UP FOR VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, AS OF JUNE 27, 2017)
(IN VANCOUVER THIS FALL, CHOPARD WILL FIND A NEW HOME AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF HORNBY AND W. GEORGIA STREETS, IN CATHEDRAL PLACE. PHOTO: GOOGLE STREET VIEW SCREEN CAPTURE)
(JAEGER-LECOULTRE AND LAO FENG XIANG ON ALBERNI STREET IN VANCOUVER. MEPHISTO TO THE LEFT HAS CLOSED, AND A LUXURY WATCH BRAND WILL SOON BE ANNOUNCED FOR THE SPACE. PHOTO: KARIM RASHWAN)
It’s becoming apparent that Canada’s two primary luxury watch and jewellery nodes are Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, and downtown Vancouver’s expanding ‘Luxury Zone’ (centred on the 1000 block of Alberni Street as well as adjacent Burrard and Thurlow Streets). This summer, Yorkdale will debut Canada’s first Breitling watch boutique with an Omega boutique next to it, and Links of London will open nearby. Vancouver’s Luxury Zone, which has seen the addition of luxury jewellery and watch brands such as Lao Feng Xiang and Jaeger Le-Coultre, also recently saw Tiffany & Co. triple in size. Luxury watch brand Hublot is putting the finishing touches on its already opened boutique at 1080 Alberni Street — it’s the first in Canada for Hublot, and is located next to the Canadian retail headquarters of De Beers.
Toronto’s downtown core, particularly the Bloor-Yorkville area, is expected to see a number of luxury jewellers open over the next several years. Birks will temporarily relocate its Manulife Centre flagship to space formerly occupied by William Ashley, while a new one-level Birks flagship is created in Birks’ existing retail space. The new Birks, which will reflect the design of a Yorkdale prototype that opened last winter, will feature street-front entrances for Van Cleef & Arpels and Breitling boutiques, and possibly others.
Multi-brand jeweller Louis Black, on Toronto’s Yorkville Avenue, recently converted its space into a Richard Mille watch boutique — the Mille brand features styles with some prices exceeding $2-million. Brands and potential franchisees are watching closely, and are considering opening nearby.
While Montreal is no longer considered to be a major luxury market in terms of freestanding boutiques, the city’s Birks flagship is about to see an overhaul, including a redesigned retail space and the addition of a boutique hotel. Montreal’s Chateau d’Ivoire jewellery store, considered to be one of the top luxury jewellery stores in the country, will also see a renovation — there will be stiff competition for luxury dollars in Montreal.
(BIG CHANGES ARE IN STORE FOR BIRKS AT TORONTO’S MANULIFE CENTRE. RENDERING: MANULIFE)
(BIRKS IN MONTREAL. PHOTO: GOOGLE STREET VIEW)
Luxury jewellery is also becoming a key component to Canada’s luxury department stores. In Saks Fifth Avenue’s downtown Toronto flagship, which opened in February of 2016, shop-in-stores for Piaget, Chopard, Boucheron and De Grisogono anchor the store’s glittering ground floor jewellery hall — a De Grisogono watch in the boutique, with diamonds and a stingray band, is priced at just under $100,000. Saks will be opening in Calgary next year and reportedly in Montreal at some point, and both are expected to see jewellery offerings that will compete with existing city retailers. Holt Renfrew has been upping its jewellery offerings over the past several years, housing brands such as David Yurman, which opened its largest concession in the world inside of Vancouver’s Holt Renfrew in the fall of 2016. Nordstrom, as well, carries an expansive assortment of luxury jewellery and watch brands at its Canadian flagships in Vancouver and Toronto, competing with some of the offerings at Saks and Holt’s.
French luxury brand Chanel, which opened a 5,000 square foot ground floor concession at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver last summer, features a fine jewellery and watch boutique — a first for the brand in Canada. A ‘pigeon blood’ ‘Camellia’ broach shocked the media when it was revealed that its retail price was $3 million. Chanel will also open an 8,700 square foot freestanding Toronto flagship at some point in the fall and while it will carry jewellery, sources say that it won’t carry the priciest pieces found in the Vancouver shop-in-store.
It remains to be seen if Canada will continue to see such rapid growth in luxury jewellery and watch brand stores into 2018 and beyond. It will be dependent on a number of factors, including the economy, travel patterns, and even immigration. This summer, we’ll feature a piece on why luxury retail is on the rise in Canada, and we’ll be interviewing some of the country’s leading experts to gain more insight into why the country is becoming a land of bling.
Alberta-based men’s luxury brand retailer Henry Singer is relocating its Calgary store. After almost 30 years on the 3rd floor of Bankers Hall, Henry Singer is locating to a slightly smaller retail space in a building nearby. The move is all about exposure and accessibility, according to the company’s president, Jordan Singer.
The new 6,006 square foot replacement store will open this fall on the ground floor of Calgary’s Eighth Avenue Place (545 8 Avenue S.W.). The store will be ‘highly-experiential’ according to Mr. Singer, and will be designed by award-winning architecture and interior design firm McKinley Burkart.
The store’s design will be simple and with luxurious details, allowing the clothing to be the focal point. Rather than operate shop-in-stores as it currently does, the new Calgary Henry Singer will feature one unified space, carrying luxury brands such as Kiton (with suits costing more than $8,000) Jacob Cohen (pricey denim) and Scarpe di Bianco (luxury footwear).
‘VIP’ change rooms will be among the luxury offerings, as well as a made-to-measure suite and an open-concept tailor shop, where intricate hand-finishing and pressing will be done in-house by master tailors. The new store will also feature an on-site barbershop and an apothecary featuring a curated selection of men’s skin care products and fragrances. Henry Singer’s shoe offerings will also be expanded — men’s footwear is one of fashion’s fastest-growing segments at the moment.
In an interview, Jordan Singer explained that he wanted the Calgary store to have greater visibility, and he jumped at the opportunity to locate on 8th Avenue. The store will feature a street-front entrance as well as easy access to adjacent office towers via the city’s above-ground +15 walkway system. Parking is also nearby, adding to the convenience factor.
HENRY SINGER ENTRANCE. RENDERING: MCKINLEY BURKART HENRY SINGER RENDERING: MCKINLEY BURKART
While it will be a bit smaller than Singer’s current Banker’s Hall store (at almost 7,500 square feet), the new 6,000 square foot store will feel just as large, with its open concept design.
Singer’s move comes at a time when the Calgary economy is struggling, while at the same time competitors are expanding. Downtown Calgary is home to a massive Holt Renfrew flagship, which features an impressive 20,000 square foot men’s floor with a vast array of designers. Luxury menswear retailer Harry Rosen operates a 30,000 square foot store nearby at The CORE shopping centre, as does Brooks Brothers, with its dapper menswear offerings. Further out in the suburbs is CF Chinook Centre, which features Calgary’s other Harry Rosen store as well as Nordstrom and, early next year, Saks Fifth Avenue will enter the market with a 115,000 square foot store. When asked if he’s concerned, Mr. Singer said he’s ready to take on the competition with a differentiated store format, noting that the retailer already has a loyal following.
Henry Singer Fashion Group was founded in Edmonton in 1938 by Henry Singer (Jordan’s grandfather), and the retailer has a storied history in Alberta. Besides the current Banker’s Hall location in Calgary, Henry Singer also has two Edmonton stores — at Manulife Place in the downtown core, as well as at West Edmonton Mall (housing ‘HS by Henry Singer‘).
Construction signage has gone up for Canada’s first Woolrich store — America’s oldest outdoor clothing company will open at Canada’s most productive shopping centre, Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, this winter.
Aurora Realty Consultants is acting on behalf of Woolrich for its Canadian expansion, and Jeff Berkowitz and Ashley Lebofsky acted on behalf of the retailer in the Yorkdale deal. According to Aurora Realty Consultants’ website, Woolrich stores ideally occupy retail spaces in the 2,500 square foot range, either in enclosed malls or on urban high streets.
Woolrich was founded in Pennsylvania in 1830 for the purpose of manufacturing fabric for the wives of hunters, loggers and trappers. Later, the company also outfitted clothing supplies for the American Civil War. It includes two labels: Woolrich Outdoor, distributed in North America, and Woolrich John Rich & Bros., the contemporary high-end outerwear line that is distributed worldwide. Woolrich also collaborates with brands on unique product launches, which in the past have ranged from Converse x Woolrich footwear to Goal Zero x Woolrich wireless speakers, not to mention a blanket collaboration with the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Woolrich Inc. and Woolrich Europe announced a merger in November of 2016, creating a company called Woolrich International. Longtime Italian partner W.P. Lavori in Corso now controls the new company, with Woolrich International’s head office to be located in London UK. Annual sales in 2016 were US $190 million, and the company is projecting annual growth of 12% between 2017 and 2020, where it anticipates revenues of US $300 million while employing 500 people. The new company has earmarked about US $50 million to open more than 60 stores globally — including in Canada, where Woolrich is expected to also target Vancouver for at least one store.
Woolrich currently operates 25 stores, globally, including two full-priced stores in the Unites States (Boston at 299 Newbury Street and in New York City at 125 Wooster Street) as well as an outlet in Woolrich, Pennsylvania.
Vancouver-based Saje Natural Wellness is marking 25 years in business, as well as the opening of its 50th store location. The company continues to see rapid growth both in Canada and abroad, after launching an expansion into the United States last year.
Saje Natural Wellness was founded 1992 by husband-wife team Jean-Pierre LeBlanc and Kate Ross LeBlanc, with the opening of a small shop at North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay. Saje Natural Wellness has since grown to retail hundreds of different natural wellness products, accessories and gift ideas. Products contain 100% natural ingredients, including plant-derived essential oils and base ingredients.
Its expansion didn’t really start to take off until relatively recently. When we first reported on Saje Natural Wellness in September of 2014, it had just 14 locations in Canada. The company has grown quickly — the summer 2017 opening of a West Edmonton Mall store marks its 50th in Canada, as well as its second within North America’s largest shopping centre. While 50 was the initial target number of stores anticipated for the Canadian market, the number is now higher, and based on opportunity.
Jean-Pierre LeBlanc and Kate Ross LeBlanc
Image: Saje Natural Wellness
In fact, Saje has grown its bricks & mortar store count by more than 316% in the last three years and embarked on two major expansions – to Eastern Canada in 2014 and the United States in the fall of 2016. It already has 11 stores south of the border and most recently, the retailer opened its first store in New York City at 120 Prince Street in Soho, and it’s already been a hit among locals. The company also has 10 stores in California.
If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere, they say. If true, Saje Natural Wellness will ‘make it’ with the opening of its second store in Manhattan in August, when it unveils a new location at 158 Columbus Avenue in the city’s famed Upper West Side.
According to Kate Ross LeBlanc, Saje Natural Wellness will continue to expand in the United States, with a continued focus on both the west and east coasts. After that, the company will look inward to markets such as Chicago for stores. At some point, the company could expand beyond North America, potentially targeting markets such as Australia and the United Kingdom.
Image: PRINCE STREET SAJE NATURAL WELLNESS STORE IN NYC
In Canada, store number 52 will be opening at Vancouver’s CF Pacific Centre this year — the downtown mall ranked as one of Canada’s top malls by Retail Council of Canada’s Shopping Centre Study. CF Champlain in Moncton will also open soon, and will be store 51 for Saje Natural Wellness. There will also be some store renovations and even a relocation — the company’s CF Sherway Gardens unit is expanding to a space almost twice the size within the mall, in a new Nordstrom-anchored expansion wing set to debut in August. Saje also has a store in another Nordstrom-anchored wing — at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre — in a dramatic retail space with soaring high ceilings.
The company’s growth means that it’s time to move into a bigger office. In about 18 months, it will relocate its Chinatown office in Vancouver to a space about twice the size on East 5th Avenue, in the city’s Mount Pleasant area.
SAJE NATURAL WELLNESS AT YORKDALE (PHOTO: CRAIG PATTERSON)
Saje Natural Wellness stores are often unique, both inside and out, with differentiated facades as well as nature-inspired interiors. It’s “an elegant mixture of old-world apothecary and new-world modern”, according to the store design team, and Saje describes its style as ‘West Coast – Modern Apothecary’. The company recognizes that most of the time, the consumer’s first experience with Saje is through one of its stores. As a result, its design team endeavours to create environments that allow people to understand what the Saje brand is about almost instantly, through the visual elements of the spaces and sensory experiences of its products.
“Our focus has always been on a continual and steady evolution of store design that celebrates our commitment to 100% natural by using plants, fixtures, finishes, furniture, materials, and textures that have that same integrity and are inspired by nature,” notes the company when describing its in-store environments. Stores are a positive space, with bright lighting, friendly staff and music. Retail Insider partner Peregrine has built fixtures for a number of Saje Natural Wellness stores, and we recently toured a location with Peregrine’s President, Brian French, who pointed out how the natural looking fixturing is also functional for smaller retail spaces such as Saje Natural Wellness.
To commemorate Canada’s 150th Birthday as well as to mark Saje Natural Wellness’ quarter century milestone, the company recently launched a 25th anniversary pocket pharmacy, which it says is selling rapidly at its various locations.
Upscale Quebec City-based multi-brand footwear retailer Jean-Paul Fortin is launching a Canadian store expansion this year, that will see it open its first location outside of Quebec. More locations are expected to follow as the retailer seeks to gain an expanded national presence.
Founded in 1964 in Quebec City, the Jean-Paul Fortin name is notable — it’s a combination of its founder’s name (Paul Fortin), and the street on where its first store was located (St-Jean Street in Quebec City). The company currently has 11 locations, including seven Jean-Paul Fortin stores, three Les Pieds sur Terre (comfort-focused fashionable footwear) locations, and one Le Placard store. Of these, six are in the metro Quebec City area, and five are in/near Montreal. Jean-Paul Fortin also operates the footwear concession at the upscale Ogilvy department store in downtown Montreal.
Jean-Paul Fortin’s first location outside of Quebec will open late summer of this year at Toronto’s Yorkville Village shopping centre. According to its President, Francois Monat, the Yorkville Village Jean-Paul Fortin store will feature a product offering tailored to the area, with upscale brands such as Stuart Weitzman, Aquatalia, Kate Spade, Peter Kaiser, AGL, Brunate, DVF, Ted Baker, Vince and the more upscale Michael Kors collection, among others. Both men’s and women’s collections will be carried in the new Toronto store.
The Yorkville Village store’s interior will feature a new look for Jean-Paul Fortin — leading design firm GH+A is creating a new signature look that will include marble walls and gold accents, in a 2,400 square foot retail space that will become the company’s Ontario flagship. Luxury brands Belstaff and Eleventy will be opening freestanding boutiques in close proximity (Beltaff’s first in Canada, and Eleventy’s first for North America) and spin cycle concept Soul Cycle is about to open its second Toronto location behind the new Yorkville Jean-Paul Fortin.
Jean-Paul Fortin is working with Aurora Realty Consultants for its Canadian store expansion, under the direction of Jeff Berkowitz.
Mr. Monat said that a national expansion is in the works for Jean-Paul Fortin, and that the company is examining opportunities in various markets. Ontario will be the initial focus for the next couple of years, prior to expanding westward. The Vancouver market is a target for at least one store, and Calgary could see a Jean-Paul Fortin location as well. Mr. Monat noted that the Greater Toronto Area could easily support multiple locations, given its size.
We’ll update this article with photos of the new Yorkville Village store when it opens, and will be following the company as it embarks on its expansion beyond Quebec.
Coinciding with CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s 40th anniversary, the campaign is geared towards showcasing the style elements of Torontonians. General Manager Shelia Jennings stated, “CF Toronto Eaton Centre is the downtown style destination for Toronto. At CF TEC, we’re focused on providing an elevated shopping experience for all our customers.”
Consistently ranking amongst Canada’s top five most productive malls according to the Retail Council of Canada, CF Eaton Centre’s geographic position makes it one of the few top-performing malls in North America in a prominent downtown location. As such, the “Reflections of Toronto Style” campaign will spotlight the vibrant cross-section of street style, business attire, and evening wear expected of the country’s largest city. The campaign is intended as “a living testament to our commitment to building vibrant communities, enabling consumers to make positive style choices that build confidence, while encouraging shoppers to remain true to themselves,” according to Jennings.
To reach a younger demographic, the campaign commenced on Thursday, June 22, with a three-day pop-up “Selfie Mirror” display located in the mall, allowing viewers to take selfies with digital backgrounds of iconic Toronto landmarks. The images taken simulate the effect of the viewer taking a selfie against the actual landmarks themselves. Those who participated in the mirror challenge on June 24 were able to see their images displayed on rotation at the 90-foot LED screen on the corner of Yonge and Dundas, allowing for a truly interactive experience. Guests tagged themselves on social media using the hashtag #TorontoStyle, which forms part of the official campaign branding.
Image: CF Toronto Eaton Centre
To drive awareness of the experience CF Toronto Eaton Centre has also partnered with Toronto-based influencers Zeba (@ellaprettyblog), Kaylee Giffin (@theblondielocks) and Dani Goddard (@girlsofto).
Fronting the campaign is Toronto native Elaine “Lainey” Lui, co-host of CTV’s popular The Social, gossip correspondent on eTalk Daily, and owner of the eponymous Laineygossip.com, the much-vaunted celebrity gossip site that attracts over one million unique viewers every month.
“Style isn’t just what you wear – style is attitude, it’s curiosity, it’s imagination, it’s expression,” said Lui. “This is why Toronto is a global style destination – our style reflects our city’s diverse perspective and personality. I am thrilled to collaborate with CF Toronto Eaton Centre to celebrate Torontonians and all the ways this amazing city inspires our city’s style.”
Elaine Lui poses in front of the ‘selfie mirror’.
One of Toronto’s most eminent public figures, and known for her own effortlessly chic and esoteric fashion choices, Lui will be the official Toronto Style Ambassador for the length of the campaign. Her fashion credentials have been recognized by WXN (Women’s Executive Network), who named Lui to WXN’s 2016 list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, and on both the Toronto Life and HELLO! Canada best dressed lists for 2016.
Home to several of the country’s first stores for brands such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Uniqlo, Babaton and Links of London, CF Eaton Centre’s “Reflections of Toronto Style” campaign is designed to capture the cross-section of fashion aesthetics, fronted by one of the country’s most celebrated personalities.
“The #TorontoStyle campaign is set to bring a continued conversation with our shoppers around what influences their style”, said Cadillac Fairview’s VP of Marketing Craig Flannagan, “these are the freshly curated content and social engagement opportunities we’re looking to build on.”
