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by The Backseat Stylers | April 16th, 2013 
Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright (left) and David Neville (Image Credit: George Pimentel)
With a slew of international designers scheduled to drop by Toronto this month, Holt Renfrew threw down the gauntlet last week with a shindig in honour of Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville. The third floor of the retailer’s Bloor Street flagship, home to its contemporary collections, was transformed into a party space complete with a graffiti wall.
With the design duo’s latest offerings on hand (including an incredible green leather jacket worn by Kate Moss in their Spring 2013 campaign), cotton candy and pretzel stands at the ready, and DJ Fathom spinning all the right tunes for a crowded makeshift dance floor, I had more fun that evening than at my last visit to Holt’s end-of-season sale. And that’s saying a lot, coming from a shopaholic.
It was a great night for street style spotting too – the storm raining down outside didn’t appear to deter anyone from showing up in their best Rag & Bone(-esque) duds. There were summery white frocks (take that, hail storm!), denim rolled and ripped in all the right places, and plenty of that black-and-white trend we keep hearing about. Check out the gallery below for our favourite looks from the Holt Renfrew x Rag & Bone shindig.
(Image Credit: George Pimentel)
   
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by The Backseat Stylers | October 29th, 2012 
Holt Renfrew announced today the launch of a new, lower-priced chain of stores next year. Called “hr2”, the new concept will offer men’s and women’s apparel, footwear and accessories at lower price points than Holt Renfrew customers are accustomed to shelling out at the luxury department store. There won’t be any overlap between the merchandise sold at the two chains, but hr2 will be stocking exclusive product lines and diffusion labels designed by many of the designers whose main lines can be found at Holt Renfrew.
“We can deliver this new concept because of the strong and enduring relationships we have with the world’s leading brands,” said Heather Arts, vice president of hr2. “The depth and breadth of our brand portfolios is impressive. Not all of it fits within the Holt Renfrew luxury model, and they see this as an ideal opportunity to further extend the market reach of their brands in Canada.”
The first hr2 location is set to open in Montreal’s Quartier DIX30 shopping centre in March 2013, with a second, unidentified location, to follow in Ontario. Rumour has it that the lone Holt Renfrew Last Call, located at Vaughan Mills, will be converted from a clearance outlet to the new hr2 format. By the end of 2015, Arts promises that there will be “a strong national presence” across Canada.
Though I’m mourning the impending loss of my beloved Last Call, hr2 has me intrigued. As a huge fan of Barneys CO-OP, one of my favourite sources for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang (both currently carried at Holt Renfrew) and FALLON jewelry, I can’t wait to find out whether hr2 will be able to curate an equally enticing designer list that will be gentler on the pocketbook than that of its older (175, to be exact) sister. Who’s excited for hr2?
xx, S
Image via The Globe & Mail
by The Backseat Stylers | October 18th, 2012 
Remember when Missoni collaborated with Target on a collection of pretty much everything under the sun, and we were feeling a little left out north of the border? Well we’ve got something even better coming our way: Missoni and Holt Renfrew have teamed up to bring us a limited edition stuffed animal duo!
Meet the exclusive Missoni Bear and Elephant, classic Missoni print and all. How cute are they? Each will retail for $50, and are being sold in support of OrphanAid.
“I began volunteering with OrphanAid Africa nine years ago, in its early days,” said Margherita Missoni, President of OrphanAid Africa Italia. “To see the changes and impact we have made to better the lives of children is incredible and rewarding. We are very pleased to have joined forces with Holt Renfrew. The funds raised will further strengthen our cause.”
The adorable striped pair will be available starting November 1. Also, stop by Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship in Toronto on November 8 for the opportunity to meet Margherita Missoni, Chief Accessories Designer of Missoni, who will be making a public appearance at 5:30 p.m. See you there!
xx, S
Image courtesy of Holt Renfrew
by The Backseat Stylers | September 12th, 2012 
Shopping parties are the best when raided with an equally fashion-minded sister (at The Bazaar by RAC Boutique). (Image Credit: Richard Fabregui)
And just like that, Fashion’s Night Out Toronto has come and gone, but while it was here on September 6, we sure took full advantage. It was a jam-packed evening of shopping party after shopping party, the very best kind by our measure.
We kicked off our night at Toronto Eaton Centre (check out our recap), and the FNO fun was only just beginning. Next stop? Holt Renfrew, of course, where we joined a very magenta street party complete with pink confetti, limited edition pink Diet Coke bottles and a pop-up shop selling exclusive Holt Renfrew 175th anniversary paraphernalia. There may have been some confetti throwing and dancing in the street on our part (and photographic evidence).
From there we made the short trek to Hazelton Lanes to pay The Shopping Soirée, hosted by Toronto Fashion Incubator, TNT and Fashion Cares, and the MasterCard Stylicity Lounge a visit. There we chatted with a Mary Katrantzou-clad Suzanne Rogers, ogled the Kara Ross jewels on Gail McInnes and Kelly Claman, and caught up with some of our favourite fellow fashion bloggers, including Style Blog‘s Nelia Belkova, who also chose Clover Canyon for the occasion (take a gander at our FNO outfit post). There were also tables and tables of stylish goods to covet.
Our next destination was equally full of temptation for the pocketbook. A chauffeured BMW (by the way, how sweet is that?) took us to The Bazaar by RAC Boutique. More of the city’s independent boutiques than we can name had assembled together at the Burroughes Building to offer a carefully curated selection of chic offerings. The whimsical necklaces from Foe and Dear and statement jewelery from Love of Mine, in particular, were very hard to resist.
With closing time for Fashion’s Night Out just around the corner, we made one final stop at eLUXE‘s FNO bash. There was just enough time to admire the exclusive Smythe x eLUXE tuxedo jacket and make use of the photo booth with Toronto Is Fashion‘s Richard Fabregui. Fashion’s Night Out wouldn’t have been complete without the obligatory jumping session in the photo booth – am I right or am I right?
And with that, the clock struck 11pm, FNO was done for the year, and yours truly returned to our hotel room and ordered everything off the room service menu to cap off one hell of a Fashion’s Night Out. Till next year!
Me and Nelia Belkova – Clover Canyon loving twins! (Image Credit: Richard Fabregui)
Pink lemonade at Massimo Dutti at Toronto Eaton Centre – yes please!
Live-tweeting Toronto Eaton Centre’s fabulous FNO fashion show with PR all-star Jenna Stothers.
I really, really like confetti. Especially the pink kind at Holt Renfrew’s Hot@175 street party.
Well hello there, Gail McInnes, Glenn Dixon and Suzanne Rogers (in Mary Katrantzou!), at The Shopping Soirée at Hazelton Lanes of course.
Fabulous Kara Ross statement necklaces for all! Except me…I need to work on that.
Bloggers Richard Fabregui, Nelia Belkova, Marc Piercey, Anita Clarke and me at The Shopping Soirée at Hazelton Lanes. (Image Credit: Nelia Belkova)
Jeanne Beker at the MasterCard Stylicity Lounge. (Image Credit: Justin Charles)
Chauffeured BMW pour moi et mes fellow media types. No big deal.
Being silly with Richard at The Bazaar by RAC Boutique.
Actor Adrian Grenier and his entourage (see how we did that?) at The Bazaar by RAC Boutique. (Image Credit: Ashlea Wessel)
Working on my photo booth jumping game with T and Richard at eLUXE’s FNO event.
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | September 6th, 2012 
Fashion’s Night Out has finally arrived! And with so many exciting events on the official FNO Toronto calendar and only 5 hours to fit it all in, we thought we’d give you a hand by narrowing it down to our top picks for the evening.
We’ll be kicking off our Fashion’s Night Out at Toronto Eaton Centre and you should definitely join us for the fashion show and FNO merchandise giveaways between 7-8pm. After that, we can shop till we drop (or until 11pm) at TEC, or hit up some (or all, if you’re a speedy shopper) of the following:
- Aime by Monica Mei (198A Davenport Road, Upper Level)
Preview the latest collection and receive a gift with purchase where a portion of proceeds will benefit Fashion Cares (Elton John Foundation & Aids Committee of Toronto). Tunezy will be spinning tunes on the back patio and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
- eLUXE (355 Adelaide Street West, Ground Level)
Debuting its exclusive Smythe for eLUXE blazer, eLUXE will host guests with a trunk show from Rebekah Price, branded sweets from Megan Wappel designs and six giveaways. Photostar will be onsite snapping all guests.
- Holt Renfrew (50 Bloor Street West)
Holt Renfrew presents “Hot in the City” street party on Bloor Street West. The store will be open until 11:00 p.m.
- INTERMIX (130 Bloor Street West)
Fall in love with must-know designers, exclusive product and covetable pieces. ILIA beauty will treat you to a natural pop of colour while the DJ spins of-the-moment music. Champagne and sweets will be served. 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
- MasterCard’s Stylicity Lounge (Shops at Hazelton Lanes, 87 Avenue Road)
Visit the Stylicity Lounge to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, complimentary styling and make-up applications from Maybelline and Redken, mingle with fashion stylists and enter for a chance to win a MasterCard gift card. Shop The Peacock Parade’s Fashion’s Night Out sale onsite for special offers.
- THE BAZAAR by RAC Boutique (The Burroughes Building, 639 Queen St West)
The Bazaar will bring together a wide array of Toronto retailers including: Lab Consignment, Drake General Store, Rescue Vintage, Robber, Philistine, Chloe Comme Parris, Foe & Dear, Love of Mine, Fashionably Yours and more. Goods will include everything from jewellery to shoes to a wide array of clothing. The Bazaar will feature music, snacks, beer and cocktails. Attendees will have a chance to win a pair of plane tickets from Porter Airlines to anywhere Porter flies.
Visit the The Peacock Parade to buy official Fashion’s Night Out tees and totes, on sale now. On Thursday, September 6th, at 11am est, The Peacock Parade will launch its special Fashion’s Night Out sale, featuring exquisite jewelry from Kara Ross, and luxurious cashmere from White & Warren. Free shipping on all items in the FNO special sale!
- The Shopping Soirée (Shops at Hazelton Lanes, 87 Avenue Road)
The Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI), TNT and Fashion Cares invite you to shop men’s and women’s accessories and apparel. Spend $200+ and get a special Fashion Cares 25th anniversary retrospective book. Spend $500+ and be eligible to win two VIP Gala tickets to Fashion Cares on Sept 9th featuring Elton John (a value of $3000), PLUS two VVIP passes to the after party and two all-access event passes! 10% of event sales will benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation and the AIDS Committee of Toronto. FLARE Magazine editors will be on duty helping guests style some of the industry’s finest fall pieces from TFI ‘s design stars and the racks of TNT’s international brands.
- Toronto Eaton Centre (220 Yonge Street)
For one night only, Toronto Eaton Centre will extend mall hours, remaining open until 11:00 p.m. In addition, the mall will host a public fashion show at 7:30 p.m. in Centre Court, featuring signature looks from retailers Stuart Weitzman, Juicy Couture and GAP. Throughout the night, Toronto Eaton Centre will give away official FNO collection items via Twitter (www.twitter.com/toeatoncentre).
Don’t forget to follow @FNO_Toronto, @toeatoncentre and @backseatstylers on Twitter, and tweet us with the #FNO_Toronto hashtag to win some official FNO swag.
Happy Fashion’s Night Out everyone!
xx, T & S
by The Backseat Stylers | August 23rd, 2012 
Holt Renfrew is about to throw the chicest 175th birthday bash you ever saw, and you can take a little slice of magenta heaven home with you as a souvenir. In honour of the upscale retailer’s big 1-7-5, Holt Renfrew has commissioned from some of their (and our!) favourite designer brands a collection of exclusive, hot pink party favours. And we want them…all!
The limited edition collection features men’s and women’s apparel, cosmetics, handbags and other accessories, but it’s the footwear we’re most enamoured with. From Valentino’s patent leather bow pumps ($745) to Ferragamo’s ‘Varina’ bow flats ($495), timeless classics have been recreated in Holt Renfrew’s signature shade.
A swanky new shoe purchase? Don’t mind if I do. Happy birthday to me! And to you too, Holt Renfrew.
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by The Backseat Stylers | August 20th, 2012 
The kids are getting ready to go back to school, the leaves will soon be changing colours, and I’m already dreaming of leather jackets and riding boots – sure signs that fall is on its way! And rather than fight it this year, I’m going to embrace it because autumn is, hands down, my favourite sartorial season.
My love for fall dressing is in large part due to my outerwear addiction, which I’m more than happy to share with you. The search for the perfect fall coat obviously entails a trip to Sherway Gardens, the upscale fashion and lifestyle centre in Toronto’s west end. With over 200 stores on its directory, there are plenty of stylish outerwear options from which to choose (clockwise from top left):
1. The Trench – Burberry (Available at Holt Renfrew)
Every woman needs a trench coat in her closet, and none is more iconic than Burberry’s classic take. Whether you’re on the hunt for single- or double-breasted, epaulets or no epaulets, tan or black, Holt Renfrew stocks a selection of styles from the UK-based design house. Our pick for the season is a double-breasted version with leather accents that’s classic with an edge ($1,695).
2. The Motorcycle Jacket – Jacob
Whether it’s done in cotton, wool or leather, I’ve never been able to resist a great motorcycle jacket. Jacob’s white textured cotton offering, priced at a very affordable $99, is downright irresistible. Not a practical colour, you say? With a price tag like that, this fabulous little moto jacket is completely worth the risk. (Just carry a Tide pen with you!)
3. The Blazer – Club Monaco
There’s always room for one more blazer in my rotation, especially when it’s as sharp looking as this one from Club Monaco’s September collection. Colour blocking trend or not, the combination of the light brown plaid and contrast navy sleeves is simply perfect. Dress it up for the office or keep it casual for the weekend – you’ll get a lot of mileage out of this jacket (US$249).
4. The Varsity Jacket – Roots
Whether or not you’re currently in school is completely beside the point. Varsity jackets have never been cooler, and if you aren’t lucky enough to have a vintage piece you can fish out of your (or dad’s?) closet, then Roots is your very best bet. There’s a range of styles and colours available, but our hands-down favourite is the Sorority Jacket in grey ($358).
With such chic outerwear options, it’s rather impossible to pick just one, isn’t it? That’s where Sherway Gardens’ Fall Into Style Contest comes in. Until September 17, enter to win the grand prize of a $1,000 shopping spree at Sherway Gardens or 1 of 20 $100 Cadillac Fairview shop! card® gift cards over on Sherway Gardens’ Facebook page*. And don’t forget to share your winnings with the lovely blogger who told you all about the contest. Hint, hint.
Good luck and happy outerwear shopping!
xx, S
* Open to Ontario residents only.
Image Credits: Burberry, Club Monaco, Jacob, Roots
Sponsored by Sherway Gardens
by The Backseat Stylers | March 18th, 2012 
Smythe Fall 2012
Holt Renfrew‘s opening night runway show is always one of the most popular on the official Toronto Fashion Week calendar, and for good reason. A well-curated sneak peek into the latest collections of some of our favourite Canadian brands, this season’s edition featured Dennis Merotto, Jeremy Laing, Judith & Charles, Lida Baday, LINE Knitwear, Mackage, Smythe, and Twenty Cluny.
As has been the case the last few seasons, I walked out of the Holt Renfrew Presents show with new must-haves on my Fall 2012 wish list: a green herringbone jacket from Smythe, a sequin party dress from Twenty Cluny and a knitted cardigan with leather sleeves from LINE. Oh, and a new winter coat from Mackage, which of course was already on the list after last week’s presentation of the complete Fall 2012 collection.
That’s a lot of wants needs from one runway show, yes, but those folks at Holt Renfrew are quite talented at luring me into their department stores. Holt’s has always been a dangerous shopping destination for me, and their Canadian fashion showcase at Toronto Fashion Week reminded me just how much.
Watch the complete Holt Renfrew Presents show here.
Twenty Cluny Fall 2012
LINE Knitwear Fall 2012
Dennis Merotto Fall 2012
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by The Backseat Stylers | November 22nd, 2011 
Holt Renfrew is currently holding a street style contest for the Canadian retailer’s newly launched blog, Holts Muse. Naturally, I had to enter. But what to wear in a sartorial battle with, well, the whole country?
With so many pieces in my closet that I’m currently obsessed with, pulling together just one outfit to represent me and my personal style was a tough assignment. After much deliberation, I stuck with my usual, trusty formula: smart-looking jacket + chic blouse + statement jewelry + fierce shoes + one pop of colour. And red lips, of course!
A caption to my photo was required, and instead of ‘Harbourfront Hoedown’, as T earnestly suggested, I titled my submission ‘The Mixologist’. Why? Because this ensemble combines the unexpected: contrasting patterns and different textures, feminine pieces with masculine touches, and fast fashion with designer items. It’s still only one outfit upon which to judge my street style contributions to the Canadian landscape (I’m so dramatic, I know!), but it’s very me.
Check out my submission in the Holts Muse contest photo album on Facebook here. And throw me a ‘like’ if you happen to – it’d make my day!
    
Zara blazer / Tara Jarmon blouse / Zara skirt / Stuart Weitzman shoes (gifted; available here) / Balenciaga bag / FALLON necklace and cuff / Banana Republic bracelets / YSL ring / Chanel glasses / MAKE UP FOR EVER make-up
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | November 9th, 2011 
Me and The Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine
This just in: yesterday, Holt Renfrew‘s Toronto flagship store, and surrounding areas for that matter, experienced a significant drop in foot traffic from the local male population. The cause? The Man Repeller herself, blogger Leandra Medine, dropped by to help launch the retailer’s new blog, Holts Muse. Armed with only the most effective man repelling techniques and her signature arm party, Medine managed to keep the men away, but attracted a large contingent of equally man-repelling fans to her personal appearance and invite-only cocktail party.
What does one wear to meet someone who takes pride in outfitting herself “in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex”? With no harem pants, boyfriend jeans or clogs in my repertoire, I decided to go the route of ruffles so large and in charge that they bordered on human repelling. I’m certain that this is exactly the type of occasion the fashion house of Valentino designs these sorts of garments for; they’d be very proud to know that I wore my Valentino for Gap ruffle bolero for this purpose, I’m sure.
My fellow party-goers also brought their man-repelling A games. There was weapon-like statement jewelry, bold, in-your-face prints and wild, unsexy shoes galore; it short, it was a full-on assault on the sartorial preferences of the (straight) male species. And it was glorious. Check out the gallery for more photos of the queen bee man repeller, Leandra Medine, plus the very best man-repelling ensembles Toronto had to offer.
   
xx, S
Photo Credit: First image by Nelia Belkova; all others by The Backseat Stylers
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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