Midtown stores flaunt their curb appeal
[attach]7553[/attach]The problem with stopping to admire a storefront made almost entirely of glass is you can’t get away with taking pictures without someone on the inside noticing.
Such was the case recently when we found ourselves drawn to Squint Eyewear, at 2501 Yonge St., while on a mission to find the most interesting store windows in midtown.
A few shots into capturing the interesting display of books, some of which were suspended in the air from rods alongside glasses, I notice owner Amin Mamdani and store manager Laurie Hemming are already onto me.
We went inside to say hello. Mamdani was excited to tell us the location is up for two international awards — best overall store design under 3,000 square feet and best window display — at the Association for Retail Environments Design Awards this month in Las Vegas.
“It’s cleverly designed with metal rods, which we call lollipops, in different lengths, and the arms of the glasses fit through the lollipops and you can make a very different display each time by moving them around and clustering them,” he said of the window display, which he changes every 4–6 weeks with themes that reflect “something culturally creative” rather than brand related.
Our hours-long trek began on Yonge Street, south of St. Clair Avenue. It took in Mt. Pleasant Road, Eglinton Avenue East, Yonge Street north from Eglinton to Teddington Park Avenue, and parts of Eglinton West, St. Clair West and Spadina Road. Here are some contenders for the most interesting and visually striking window displays:
Although it was the window display for The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child at Mabel’s Fables at 662 Mt. Pleasant Rd. that lured us in, what sealed the deal was the bookstore’s feline namesake munching on roses in front of a display for The Lunar Chronicles.
Leftover sentiments from Valentine’s Day were seen at Nadège Patisserie boutique at 1099 Yonge St. The middle of a large heart, made of red tape, included hanging 3D macarons. The installation was by Toronto-based creative studio Rollout.
Featuring an Olympic torch made from stacked cases of pop, Metro supermarket’s window at 3142 Yonge St. was a display of Olympic spirit. The theme was also seen at Sporting Life, at 2665 Yonge St., with a winter sports-inspired window, and at Drake General Store at 2607 Yonge St.
An edible-looking storefront was spotted at The Cupcake Shoppe at 2417 Yonge St. It featured pretty-in-pink cupcakes, umbrellas, clouds and heart-shape raindrops.
La Nuit Lingerie at 406 Spadina Rd. and Melmira Bra and Swimsuits at 3319 Yonge St. both took underwear to a fresh level with their creative displays.
Everyday heroes and superpowers stood strong in the window at Kids Costumes at 539 Mt. Pleasant Rd.
Honourable mentions go to Roots, at 1485 Yonge St., for their neutral and pastel Canadian love story display; Framed by Izzy and Izzy Gallery, at 402 Spadina Rd., for their striking black and white images in the windows; and Mastermind Toys, at 3350 Yonge St., for a lively romp of stuffed animals.