DIY bling for TIFF
[attach]669[/attach]TIFF will be upon us in a jiff.
Rather than show you how to conquer my fear of swanky Yorkville shops as I did last year around the feted film fest, this year I’m cutting to the shopping chase:
See, in days gone by my Yorkville shopping trip culminated in a party at a glitzy shop
But who’s to say you can’t party while shopping before TIFF even begins? There are plenty of shindigs in Yorkville; you just have to find ’em so I enlist my stylista pal Andrea Obront to help me suss out the shopping scene.
We begin at Kumari’s. This shop is an accessory diva’s paradise, with gorgeous statement piece jewellery, scarves, handbags and clothing sourced and designed in India, China and Italy.
The look is bohemian glam, with heaps of cashmere, silk, breading and embroidery. Andrea and I hit the cashmere sweater rack, even if it is the end of July.
There’s a reason: when we visit, an unheard-of three-for-one sale is on where you buy one for full price, get two of equal or lesser value for free free free.
There’s no wine in here but we definitely feel like we’re at the most rockin’ of parties.
We decide to split the sale, so I pick up an emerald green short-sleeved V-neck cashmere cardigan that was $195, plus the most beautiful embroidered and beaded wool scarf from India for the same price. With taxes the two pieces would have been almost $500, but I pay $146. Andrea finds a cashmere sweater in a nude hue and pays only $73.
I return a week later and the racks have whittled down to one. The 3 for 1 could be over by now but the shop’s a bash any time.
94 Cumberland St., suite 104, 416-324-9830 [url]www.kumaris.ca[/url]
After our pre-party shop we make it to our destination, the new Anthropologie store that’s having its grand opening tonight. I’ve already shared my impressions of Anthro when it first opened at the Shops at Don Mills so I won’t belabor the point by restating ad nauseum how fab I think the fashions, accessories and decorative elements are.
Refashioning the new from the old is the theme tonight as Anthro experts have jetted into town to host an exclusive shopping evening and a workshop on making a statement piece necklace from vintage baubles.
I have limited crafty abilities and Andrea swears she’s just as idiotic as I am, but we decide to partake in the workshop as we’re pretty jazzed by the promise of a statement piece necklace.
Note: these workshops tend to be for store openings, but insiders tell me the Anthro powers that be are hoping to get them going in the stores on a regular basis. Betcha if you let the store manager know you’re interested the events may happen sooner.
Andrea and I park ourselves at a table after selecting some beads and fabric. Who cares if Andrea mistakes the glue gun cylinders for actual beads and I hot glue several beads to my fingers? We’re in the crafty spirit, darn it, and we’re leaving with our necklaces if it kills us.
Alas, a pile of beads sits in front of me for 45 minutes as I mindlessly arrange them over the piece of felt I’ve somehow managed to glue to a piece of cardboard without incident. Meanwhile, Andrea has entangled her thread with the sample statement piece necklace on the table.
Twenty-somethings are coming and going, whipping up their necklaces in 10 minutes flat. Leaside jewellery designer Ellie Bulger is one such artsy whiz; she even names both of the beautiful creations she’s fashioned, but I can’t hate her, she’s so sweet.
Still a wine spritzer would be handy right about now.
Inspiration comes from desperation, though sloshing up some vino can’t have hurt. Two hours later I feel like doing the victory dance by my completed necklace – which isn’t too bad if you don’t look too closely.
80 Yorkville Ave., 416-964-9700 [url]www.anthropologie.com[/url]
Alas, Andrea’s away the night of the first anniversary of MoRoCo Chocolate Boutique Salon and Cocoa Bar, but I have a hunky man I can bring with me to quaff champagne, nosh chocolate and sample the boutique’s new martinis that are launching that night.
MoRoCo has a yummy concept. There’s a chocolate boutique where you can pick up truffles handmade with natural ingredients, with super sassy concoctions like the “Thai Me Up” truffle with lemon, basil and mint infusion and “Sourpuss” with perfume of grapefruit and fresh ginger, yum.
The resto serves a full dinner but tonight’s the night to slurp back those martinis. The “A Hot Mess” is good — a vodka concoction with fresh-pressed strawberry juice, fraises liqueur and more, $16. I dig the “Belle du Jour” for $18, a gin and Grand Marnier mix with marmalade, grapefruit juice and fresh lemon juice.
The outdoor patio is furnished in white ornate French inspired furniture, all trés glam. We ask owner Kelly Kimel to snap a pic of us reposing on a regal-looking throne, and she graciously accepts.
We don’t stay for the full on bash that’s sure to happen later. I have no doubts that Yorkville is up to the task.
99 Yorkville Ave., 416-961-2202 [url]www.morocochocolat.com[/url]
To read Kelly Gadzala’s columns on shopping in Yorkville, the opening of Anthropologie in the Shops at Don Mills visit [url]www.mytowncrier.ca.[/url]