SAKS AND SEGATO

It was a week of fashion and flashbacks. Last Wednesday I got to do the media preview of the Canadian opening at Vaughn Mills of Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5^TH, which is the discount portion of the high-end retailer.  Think Holt Renfrew’s Last Call.
  
OFF 5^th was a major schlep to Vaughn Mills but it was the night before the grand opening and there would be nibbles and wine (and complimentary Uber) so I was so there. We would get first dibs on the merchandise while snacking and sipping and there is no down side to that except that alcohol tends to wreak havoc with sales resistance – which explains some of my get-ups from the ‘80s I bought under the influence of cheap champagne at La Rue des Reves in SoHo, New York. 

On Friday we attended the opening of The Queen Street West: The Rebel Zone cultural exhibit at YTB Gallery at 563 Dundas St. East. It is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/documentarian Lorraine Segato, who is also not only the exhibit director but also Regent Park artist in residence.

The subtitle of the exhibit is “art & activism ignites a culture and transforms a city.” Segato’s aim was to “honour the cultural, artistic and political pioneers who emerged from the Queen Street West social scene. From 1975 to 1989 there was a cross pollination of art, music and politics that catalyzed change and transformed our city.”

To quote Carole Pope (featured in Lorraine Segato’s exhibit), I cop to being “a victim of fashion and accessories.” So I headed directly to the accessories area at OFF 5^{th .} The sunglass selection was incredible. A pair of Celine sunnies marked at $179 (from $400) was very Joan Didion.

I resisted this yummy fake fur chubbie jacket that is so Fendi. It was still a tad pricey in the $400 neighbourhood.

Signage urging shoppers to “sparkle like you mean it” indicates the jewelry display. There was a good selection starting from bijoux in the $30 price range to upscale John Hardy which can run well into the thousand-dollar mark. 

Two necklaces I lusted after by designer Loren Hope which didn’t cause sticker shock. They were a reasonable $159 and $129 but my heart belongs to designer Dandi Maestre. Google her and you can see why.

This selection of cool vintage designer bags including Prada and Miu Miu was unfortunately only available for three days, part of a pop-up. You need to snap up these bargains ASAP because they go fast. Also, when off-price outlets open, there is the tendency to top up on brand labels you will never see there again. I spotted everything from Sandro Paris to Rag & Bone and Haute Hippie. But there was also Free People. I saw the same silk Equipment shirt marked at $149 at OFF 5^th for $99 at Winners. Just saying.

Ahhhh, shoes glorious shoes. The space is 35,000 square feet with 25 per cent dedicated to shoes. There are allegedly 10,000 pairs. I didn’t have time to count them all or check out the menswear or kid stuff -- but I did interview the shoes. Footnote: Women’s run to size 13.

A paintbrush store-décor display at Anthropologie in Yorkville. It almost inspired me to paint the bathroom. Almost.

Lorraine Segato being interviewed at The Queen Street West: The Rebel Zone exhibit, which runs through March 31.

 

The exhibit features cultural artifacts including silkscreen posters, photographs, records, films and music like this menu from the late, lamented BamBoo nightclub/eatery. The Boo’s Pad Thai and cold spring rolls were legendary. Not to mention the upstairs patio. Sigh.

“Birds of a feather flock together” montage of snaps of Queen West denizens like Marcus and Mary Margaret O’Hara (Marcus’ Squeeze nightery was a ton of fun), Molly Johnson, Rosie Levine, Carole Pope, Micah Barnes, Handsome Ned and a cast of hundreds.

Lorraine Segato and her sister Carla, in from California for the opening.

BamBoo doyenne Patti Habib, posing under the iconic signage.

Rob Salem head to head with p.r. maven Joanne Smale, an integral part of the “Rebel Zone.” 

Me with legendary chef Greg Couillard, who whipped up the scrumptious snacks at the exhibit. Couillard is cooking at Saucy Affairs & Catering these days.

HOLT THE FRIES

Holt Renfrew on Bloor hosted a fashionable dinner to acknowledge the hard-working wardrobers and stylists from films and TV series, including Suits and Beauty and the Beast, who source the retailer for wardrobe for their bold-face cast members. I was pretty much a seat filler.

The menu was as chic as the store’s inventory: pickled beet tartare, avocado and kale chips followed by miso-cured cod swimming in mushroom consommé and crispy shallots washed down with Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and/or Pinot Noir from France.

Unless you had the wine or the dessert -- pumpkin spiced “latte” of coffee custard and spiced cream -- the calorie count didn’t break three digits and wouldn't jeopardize any size zeros in the crowd. I passed on the latte. I drink my dessert.

The swag bags were incredible, as befits a high-end emporium. No smash-and-grab from Shoppers with shampoos and celebrity scents. It was crammed with samples from the cosmetics brand Filorga, housed in a black patented leather mini bag from Fendi -- way too cool to re-gift.

Suit your selfie: Moi, stylist and jewelry designer Roslyn Griffith Hall in one of her trademark chapeau and Marya Duplaga, costume designer/stylist and co-owner of Studio 1686 ham it up.

No, she’s not Naomi Campbell’s kid sister. She is “Runway” Renee Thompson, model/singer/TV host and no rookie posing for photos. She is rocking a sleek Greta Constantine creation that is an enemy to back fat everywhere.

Bumped into this number in the Gucci boutique at Holts and just had to interview it in all of its fuchsia glory. When I saw the price tag, I thought it was a grossly misplaced decimal point. But no, it rings in at $44,330. Granted, it is not a fun fur but Persian lamb. But to put it in perspective, $44,330 is more than the cost of one of my parent's starter houses.

Once upon a time, Holt Renfrew carried some of the bold pieces crafted by iconoclastic jewelry designer Dandi Maestre, a favourite of Donna Karan. Here she's in her Spadina Ave. studio modelling a piece made from discarded deer antlers which has been ordered by Vogue China.