On the street and in style
How Toronto Fashion Week breathed new life into Yorkville
If you weren’t able to make it out to the new and improved Toronto Fashion Week you really did miss quite a show.
Overnight, a beautifully appointed clear tent popped up out of nowhere spanning the length of Yorkville Avenue from Bellair Street to Avenue Road. Once I saw the tent, I knew we were off to a good and fashionable start.
The abbreviated three-day show started with a bang offering a fireside chat with design icon Jean Paul Gaultier, curated by commentator Derek Blasberg. Needless to say, elbow room was in short supply. Gaultier stole the show and told tales about men in skirts, Madonna and Made to Measure. His candour, enthusiasm and joie de vivre was infectious. The designer was met with thunderous applause – almost as loud as the storm that swirled around outside. When it was all over, the room was still buzzing.
A lucky few were invited later to supper at One Restaurant in the Hazelton Hotel where the stories and fun continued at the private
reception. Fine wines were served alongside a delectable meal by Chef Mark McEwan.
This year’s fashion week was reimagined by Freed Developments, The Hazelton Hotel, Hill & Gertner and Yorkville Village. “The founding partners together have a collective desire to celebrate Toronto as a world-class city showcasing Yorkville as the epicentre of style, art, music and culture,” enthused Peter Freed.
Designers showing their collections included Lucian Matis, Narces, Bustle, UNTTLD, House of Suri, Hayley Elsaesser and Pink Tartan. Other programming included a Dali Exhibit in Yorkville Village and an exclusive screening of Francesco Carrozzini’s film Franca: Chaos and Creation about his mother Franca Sozzani, the famed editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue.
What a treat to see Yorkville come alive once again! It was a delicious looking crowd that came together for the opening of Chef Claudio Aprile’s new restaurant Copetin. The only question was whether or not the food would measure up?
Yes, yes and absolutely yes! Open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the restaurant features three concepts: a main dining area with an open kitchen, a bar and a patio; a private dining room; and my favourite, a chef ’s counter off the main kitchen where guests can experience a bit of a show and part of the cooking process.
“Using music as an analogy for Copetin, the restaurant is the studio where you would record an album. Everything is controlled and precise,” Aprile said. “The bar is more of a live, unplugged environment. I want people to feel comfortable there – like they were in their own home. No rules.”
Sounds like fun to me!
Jean Paul Gaultier private dinner in red ● Copetin Restaurant and Bar Grand Opening in gold ●