LVMH-owned luxury jewellery brand Bulgari just opened its Canadian flagship store at The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West in Toronto. It’s the only location in Canada to carry Bulgari’s pricey high jewellery collection and some fragrances, and the store itself is a showpiece.
The 3,000+ square foot store features a unique curving glass facade, which has a shifting effect as one walks by. The facade was inspired by Bulgari’s iconic Tubogas (a flexible, tubular chain), referencing the company’s historic signature craftsmanship techniques. The facade of the store is punctuated by white marble in the same shape as the entrance portals at the historic Bulgari flagship on Via de Condotti in Rome. One of these is the entrance to the store, which leads into an impressive space inside.
Behind the glass entrance within the store is a ‘threshold’, an open space which leads to a series of adjoining rooms that house various jewellery collections, watches, leather goods, and a private lounge — all connected by a central gallery displaying Bulgari jewels. Pieces from Bulgari’s high jewellery collection are also on display, with the new Bloor Street store being the only one in Canada to carry the high jewellery collection which includes some pieces exceeding $1 million. High jewellery items include the Diva’s Dream Peacock collection — Bulgari said in a statement that the Bloor Street store has “one of the most robust assortments” of the brand’s high jewellery collection in North America, signalling that the area is a target for big-spenders. Prior to the Bloor opening, the Yorkdale Bulgari location carried some high jewellery pieces.
The Bloor Street store carries some styles of jewellery and handbags not found elsewhere in Canada. Included are some exotic skin styles of bags that retail well into the thousands, and are of such a limited quantity that only a handful are available in North America.
Bulari’s ‘Le Gemme’ and ‘Bvlgari Allegra’ fragrance collections will only be available at the Bloor Street Bulgari flagship, according to the brand. Fragrances have their own small area and are displayed in the store.
Design elements in the Bloor Street Bulgari space are exceptional, including a chandelier in the form of Serpenti by Venini in Murano glass, and a marble inlaid eight-point star in the entrance area. The store’s design is described as being a contemporary interpretation of the company’s Rome flagship.
Artwork featured in the store includes colourful prints from Andy Warhol — the artist was a fan of the brand, once referring to the New York City Bulgari store as “the best exhibition of contemporary art”. Other art work featured in the new Bloor store includes several works from Canadian contemporary artist Nicolas Ruel and his city-based photography.
“I am thrilled to celebrate the expansion of Bulgari’s presence in Canada with the opening of the Bloor Street West flagship boutique in Toronto. The store’s contemporary designs and luxurious materials seamlessly reflect Bulgari’s heritage, creating a multi sensorial experience. I look forward to welcoming our clients to Bloor Street West to discover Bulgari’s exquisite craftsmanship in all of its creations and share the Italian Art of Living with this vibrant community,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO Bulgari Group, in a statement.
“Bulgari is synonymous with the finest luxury experiences around the world through creations that testify to the incredible mastery of craftsmanship and purely Italian design. The flagship boutique on Bloor Street West is a new brand gem where we are eager to share the magnificent world of Bulgari with our Canadian customers,” added Herve Perrot, President, Bulgari North America, in a statement.
Jane Baldwin of Lennard Commercial Realty represented Bulgari in the lease deal. Morguard is the landlord of The Colonnade.
The Bloor Street Bulgari store is located in The Colonnade, a heritage-designated building considered to be the first in the country to be ‘mixed use’ (featuring a grouping of retail, offices and residential units in one building). The Colonnade was designed by architect Gerald Robinson and its construction was completed in 1963. Landlord Morguard has recently leased the lower retail levels almost entirely to big-name luxury brands including flagships for Dior, Ferragamo, Prada, Cartier, and Moncler.
Bulgari’s Bloor store is the second standalone location for the brand in Toronto, and Canada — in 2014, Bulgari opened at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre and the store was expanded to about 2,900 square feet in 2022.
Bulgari opened a concession boutique inside of Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street in the fall of 2019. The concession is expected to close with the opening of the standalone flagship nearby. Bulgari opened a concession at Holt Renfrew at CF Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver, which is expected to stay open after the brand opens a considerably larger standalone storefront at Oakridge Park in 2025.
Travel retailer Dufry operates Bulgari boutiques in Vancouver International Airport as well as in Toronto’s Pearson Airport in Terminals 1 and 3. Multi-brand retailer Château d’Ivoire in Montreal also carries Bulgari.
Bloor Street’s ongoing transformation has seen various luxury brands open stores on the street, particularly along the stretch between the current Harry Rosen store (82 Bloor St. W.) and Avenue Road. Earlier this month we reported that Tiffany & Co. was relocating to the 1200 Bay Street building (at Bloor Street), expanding the luxury run and providing more luxury brands the opportunity to lease space on the street as it comes available or is built by developers. Major brands operating at press time on Bloor between St. Thomas Street and Avenue Road include Rolex, Loro Piana (under construction at 111 Bloor W.), Dior, Ferragamo, Prada, Cartier, Moncler, Max Mara, Bonpoint, Montblanc, Brooks Brothers (currently liquidating), Roger Dubuis, IWC, Panerai, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Gucci (which will be expanding into the adjacent St. John space), Lafayette 148, Alexander Wang, Anne Fontaine (under construction), Saint Laurent, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Hermes.
LVMH acquired Bulgari in 2011 as part of a strategic alliance. Bulgari operates a network of standalone stores, concessions, and wholesale accounts in major markets globally. Marriott operates Bulgari Hotels and Resorts which has nine locations globally with more to come, and there are Bulgari-branded restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka.
