NORDSTROM, HERE I COME

I was one of the 2,000 guests at the gala grand-opening fundraiser at Nordstrom at the Eaton Centre last night and was blown away. It was 213,000 square feet of fabulousity. Holt Renfrew must be quaking in its stilettos. There were two traffic-stopping fashion shows staged at a tented facility across the street at Dundas Square and it all went off flawlessly. No fashion roadkill; kudos to the planners. The food and booze flowed, the staff was plentiful and attentive without being obsequious, and the entertainment rocked. Who knew a band called Dwayne Gretzky was so cool? And I even bought a pair of sneakers. I am not a sneakers girl but they were black Michael Kors with faux-fur magenta accents. Besides, how could I not? Nordstrom started out selling shoes and morphed into this department store with a Barneys vibe minus the attitude.

A view from the red carpet lineup of real, live mannequins posing in the Nordstrom window.

A greeting from Nordstrom staffer Dale, who I have known since he worked at Holt Renfrew, then at The Room in Hudson’s Bay. He has defected from the Bay to become personal shopper at Nordstrom. There is a lot of that going around.

Another dapper Nordstrom dude, who works in the handbag department.

Maybe he can help me track down this amazing Mongolian fur tote bag, as seen on the runway in the fashion show. I had asked a staffer on the floor, who consulted her boss, who found out that it was a Stella McCartney bag specifically brought in for the show but she would go on-line for me. I didn’t wait around, figuring she would blow me off, and went about my business of checking out the store but she actually searched me out in the bar area (safe guess), took my contact deets and promised to call when and if it came in. Now that is customer service!

Another dramatic runway look. The designers included Alexander Wang, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Missoni, Lanvin, Loewe, Simone Rocha and Sonia Rykiel.

Fun faux fur on parade on the main-floor accessories department.

A trio of sassy femmes in quirky chapeaux poses for the paps.

The second-floor bar complete with banquettes, is a welcome watering hole but wreaks havoc with sales resistance. It also gives the store a grown-up vibe without being stuffy.

The catering included pizza in what looks like a cigarette box. The smudgy glass (don’t judge me, the pizza was a tad greasy) gives you an idea of the scale.

A tray of devilled eggs, minus the one I scarfed down. Why was I the only one eating them? What is wrong with people?

The biker jacket I so lust after that I stumbled upon on the second floor, which carries labels from Madewell to Marchesa. 

The coolest guy in the place had to be stylist Luis Rajiv, who is wearing an ensemble consisting of hand-cut brown leather trousers on the bottom and Japanese obi at the back, topped by layers of neck pieces.

Moi and Derick Chetty, current fashion director at Zoomer and former Toronto Star colleague, sit one out.

Footnote: This is how it's done. The gold medalist in the shopping Olympics is John Maloney, Oakville transplant to Dallas, where he is a mild-mannered accessory designer. This haul was in London, England, and he claims it's all for research.

NEW YORK STORE EASE

At the end of June (where does the time fly?) I spent 10 days in New York attending festivities celebrating the renewal of vows of dear friends journalist Pat Sellers and sports announcer Spencer Ross. There was much drinking of bubbly bevvies, noshing on pinwheel sandwiches and runny/stinky cheeses and doing retail recon, on the eternal quest for a specific pair of Alexander Wang sandals which I had spotted in runway photos and was determined to make mine. No expanse was spared.

The definitive Manhattan selfie, me and New York mag in the waiting room of Pat’s doctor where I was cooling my heels in anticipation of heading out to a street fair in steamy, wilting weather.

Me and May Pang, photo journalist and former lover of John Lennon during the renewal of vows ceremony in the courtyard of Pat and Spencer’s midtown prewar apartment building. I own one of May’s portraits of Lennon, taken during the same photo shoot which produced the iconic New York T-shirt image.

A display of fuzzy Manolo Blahnik mules at Barney’s department store which look like a high-end version of boudoir footwear from Frederick’s of Hollywood.

This is the coolest staffer at Barney’s. I am not worthy.

Still life at Starbucks: My fringe bag purchased in Italy hanging out with my green tea latte.

A stoic news vendor in midtown Manhattan decked out in a New York Post apron.

A rendition of Rome’s legendary Spanish Steps circa early 1900s in the City of the Soul Rome and the Romantics exhibit at the Morgan Library.

Here kitty, kitty. A Gucci sweater going for $1,800 at the Dover Street Market on Lexington Ave., where I lusted after everything but could afford nothing. Not nearly enough dough in the kitty.

A phenomenal pair of men’s jackets from Dolce & Gabbana at Dover Street Market. I don’t remember the price. I just kinda glazed over it.

This vest has so much going for it – including pewter buttons – and was on sale for about $1,200 which is more than a ticket to Rome.

The Empire State Building meets palm tree as seen from the rooftop lounge at 230 Fifth, at 230 Fifth (duh) and 27^th St. which is kinda touristy but you can’t beat the view. Just don’t have the lobster roll. You are paying $20 for a speck of lobster and a whole mess of white bread.

The re-newlyweds Pat and Spencer have a smooch at 230 Fifth. Awwww.

A black cat on brick, street art on West Broadway in SoHo.

The coolest cat in SoHo, a staffer at Alexander Wang flagship store at 103 Grand St., where I went in search of the elusive sandals (see below).

The highly-coveted and elusive Alexander Wang sandals which were ringing in at over $1,000 U.S. online and there was no way I was paying that. I discovered them on sale at Holt Renfrew for $619 the day before I was going to New York but I knew I could do better. I did the B’s – Barney’s, Bergdorf’s – but no go. I finally tracked them down at the Alexander Wang SoHo location but they only had one pair left – size 7 – and I am so beyond size 7. They were breaking my heart! So I texted my pal Barbara in Toronto and asked her to call Paul, the manager of Holt’s shoe department, to put aside a pair. She did and left a message about being reduced a further $169. When I got back from NYC and went to pick them up, Paul said, “You got a great deal. See the price?” They were $169. Yes, $169 reduced from $892! Foot note: Barbara can’t understand my passion for them. She calls them the “man repellers.”

Moi and the ravishing Katie Boland, my ersatz goddaughter and an extraordinarily accomplished actor/writer, mugging during lunch at Balthazar on Spring St. after bargain binging at Topshop.

Designer street performers doing their juggling/acrobatics outside Saks Fifth Avenue on Fifth Avenue.

The poster for Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History outside the exhibit at The Jewish Museum. He is having a good-hair day.

 A study in camel and red by Mizrahi.

Then there was this cashmere camel coat cut as a jumpsuit. What was he smoking? Imagine extricating yourself from a jumpsuit/coat in a public washroom where the coat would be puddling in the puddles on the floor of the loo.

Mizrahi is a gifted sketch artist, as illustrated by this design.

Mizrahi also designed for theatre and ballet. These creations could be not-too-distant cousins of Big Bird.

A frothy number featured in the amazing Manus x Machina in an Age of Technology exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is a blockbuster for the museum’s Costume Institute.

Feel free to fold and mutilate this Issey Miyake creation.

Examples of machine-made 3-D printer fabrications. Good luck getting a coat over these babies.

This glimpse of the stage door is the closest I got to the hottest ticket on Broadway, Hamilton.

Hopefuls camped outside the Hamilton box office in anticipation of scoring a ticket, autograph or a drive-by of the actors.

A newscaster doing colour commentary on Broadway is eclipsed by the colour of his pants, which match his little red wagon.

The requisite shot of the lights of Broadway taken in daylight.

An homage to Broadway veteran Tommy Tune in the window of Brooks Brothers clothiers.

It’s a kiosk at the Saturday street market on Lexington Avenue but it could easily be a souk in Morocco.

These look like piles of fruits and veggies but are actually mountains of fridge magnets that should not be ingested.

A vendor in the Goodwill booth at the street market totally rocks a vintage Pucci jumpsuit. Note it is not a coat.

Me, caterer Freya Clibansky and the inimitable Pat Sellers gobble carbs at Vanessa’s Dumplings during our annual Chinatown graze.