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FASHION ACCESSORIES HOME FURNISHING
Picking up unique products designed in Toronto can be the best part of your trip to the city . But where can you turn for quality clothes , jewellery , hats , and interior decor items conceived by hometown talent ? Toronto houses the third largest design workforce in North America ; with 28,000 designers working here , you know you ’ ve come to the right place .
FASHION
ANNE HUNG BOUTIQUE annehung . com No one does dresses like multi-award winning designer Anne Hung . Her frocks — from mini and cocktail dresses to full-length gowns — come in a plethora of colours and wow on body types in sizes from 0 to 16 . Her pieces shine as prom or bridesmaid ’ s dresses , as well as fun and sexy outfi ts great for a night out with the girls . 829 Queen St . W ., 416-364-7251
COAL MINER ’ S DAUGHTER coalminersdaughter . ca Fresh , feminine , a little touch of sexy and established in 2009 , Coal Miner ’ s Daughter specializes in Canadianmade clothing , jewellery and accessories . Many of the labels that owners Janine Haller and Krysten Caddy carry are from local designers , including , of course , their own label , Haller , and their house-signature , made-on-site line of silver and gemstone jewellery , CMD . Other Toronto-designed lines include Birds of North America ( tailored frocks ) and Sara Duke ( simple separates ). Hometown favourites also include Pink Martini , Dagg & Stacey and Copious . 594 Markham St ., 647-381-1439 744 Queen St . W ., 647-381-14391439 87 Roncesvalles Ave ., 647-381-1439
MINI MIOCHE This sweet tot is darling in a long-sleeved raglan and black harem pants .
COMRAGS comrags . com Described as “ feminine despite themselves ” and “ prettiness with an edge ” this well-respected and much-loved Toronto fashion house was founded in 1983 by Joyce Gunhouse and Judy Cornish . Their urban-industrial boutique on Dundas Street West is where you ’ ll fi nd wearables you can dress up or down such as the Barrio dress ( in a textured jacquard pattern , fi tted bodice with three-quarter-length sleeves and a full skirt ) and the Sears coat ( in a gothic black fabric with a large notched collar ). 812 Dundas St . W ., 416-360-7249
CRYWOLF crywolfclothing . com Friends Stephanie Drabik and Rose Chang started Crywolf in 2008 . They built their brand from the idea of printing designs on tees . We especially love the Toronto raccoon crop tank and the kid ’ s happy poo emoji zip-up hoodie . The shop also carries a huge variety of buttons and magnets , as well as cool mousepads , necklaces and lapel pins . 91 Ossington Ave ., 647-729-7078
DRAKE GENERAL STORE drakegeneralstore . ca The Drake Hotel is one of the hippest places to hang out , and their general store follows suit . As if their Drake Pantry Bourbon-Infused Maple Syrup isn ’ t reason enough to visit the shop , they boast some of the best Blue Jays gear in the city . Plus , check out their awesome collection of unisex wear , including Toronto Public Library sweatshirts , CBC Hockey Night tees and arborist Ontario shirts . 2 Abell St ., 647-346-0742 ; Hudson ’ s Bay Bloor , 44 Bloor St . E ., 416-972-3333 ; UP Express , Union Station Skywalk , 61 Front St ., 416-214-6449 ; + 2 other Toronto stores
DOLL FACTORY BY DAMZELS damzels . com Voted Best Women ’ s Clothing Store in Toronto by a local weekly magazine three years in a row , Doll Factory by Damzels is the place to shop if you ’ re looking for playful , vintage-inspired , modern and sexy pieces . Owners Rory Lindo and Kelly Freeman ’ s own in-house label , Damzels in this Dress , gives a nod to the retro pin-up styles of decades past . You ’ ll fi nd them in hip neighbourhoods in both the east and west ends of the city . 1122 Queen St . E ., 416-598-0509 394 Roncesvalles Ave ., 416-533-3232
FREEDOM CLOTHING COLLECTIVE freedomclothingcollective . com Almost everything this co-op sells is designed and made in Toronto . Not only are they focused on promoting local talent , but they ’ re also big proponents of environmentally sustainable practices . You ’ ll fi nd full skirts by Simone ’ s Rose , bright dresses from KooCoo Carillo , pretty rings by Kathryn Rebecca and smart stationery by Made in Brockton Village . 939 Bloor St . W ., 416-530-9946
FRESH COLLECTIVE freshcollective . com These shops stock reasonably priced clothing , accessories and even pieces for the home by many Toronto designers , including Nicole Boudreau ’ s whimsical and wearable pieces from her Desserts and Skirts line , and Connie Meyer of Studio Fresh ’ s locally made dresses . 274 Augusta Ave ., 416-966-0123 692 Queen St . W ., 416-594-1313 401 Roncesvalles Ave ., 647-352-7123
GERHARD gerhardsupply . com Gerhard ’ s owner , Langton Willms , carefully curates the offerings of this Junction-area shop full of high-quality menswear and lifestyle products designed and made in Toronto . Collections include linen blazers from 18 Waits and camoufl age over-shirts and leather trainers from Outclass Attire . 2949 Dundas St . W ., 416-797-1290
HOI BO hoibo . com Located in the heart of the Distillery District , Sarra Tang ’ s boutique handcrafts clothing , as well as leather handbags and jewellery . There are amazing tops made of 100 % Japanese linen , slacks made of 70 % bamboo and totes with a beeswax fi nish . The hand-textured silver and brass sheath rings are to die for . Distillery District , 15 Trinity St ., 647-852-5488
BIG IT UP The Arizona Crushable Fedora is a 100 % wool felt safari-style fedora with a self-belt . It ’ s water-repellant and packable , and looks great on both men and women .
JEXY & JAX jexyandjax . com You ’ ll fi nd a store full of Toronto and Canadian-made products at this lifestyle-apparel boutique in Greektown . Clothing ( for both men and women ) is designed and made locally by the owners . Their in-house labels ( Jexy & Jax features dresses and other pieces and Xer , pronounced “ sir ” is for men ) use only natural fabrics . They also have footwear ( like their two-tone suede moccasins ) and lots of delicious bath and body products . 375 Danforth Ave ., 416-465-5557
MINI MIOCHE minimioche . com Canadian-made from start to fi nish , this brand , which places an emphasis on Toronto-made products , was founded by a mother of two who found it hard to fi nd great basics in neutral colours for wee ones . They have a full range of supercomfy organic cotton pieces for kids from newborn to eight years . Their Wild for Mini Mioche collection features rompers and tanks with quirky , hand-drawn characters ( like Rocky the Raccoon ). Their unique toys and gifts are also worth a look — we love the Cate + Levi wool puppets and Fidoodle rattles . Distillery District , 6 Case Goods Lane , 416-366-5858 795 Queen St . W ., 647-348-5883
PINK TARTAN Nipped in at the waist for an incredibly flattering silhouette , this elegant jacket is tailored from textured pink and rich chocolate jacquard .
MIRABELLI mirabelli . com Franco Mirabelli has been designing and manufacturing his two women ’ s lines — M ( casual , off-duty separates ) and Franco Mirabelli ( chic , sophisticated outfi ts ) — in Toronto for more than two decades . His focus on feminine shapes , contemporary cuts , European fabrics and precise tailoring has made him one of the country ’ s most well-known and wellrespected designers . Limited- and special-edition clothing runs of six to 10 pieces make up the brand ’ s signature . Bayview Village Shopping Centre , 416-781-9090 456 Eglinton Ave . W ., 416-322-3130
MUTTONHEAD muttonheadcollective . com Roncesvalles Village ’ s Muttonhead is a studio and retailer offering gender-neutral basics for adults and kids . They manufacture what they design in the city to control quality and to ensure fair-trade practices . They have great hats , jackets , baseball jerseys and more . 2124 Queen St . E ., 647-348-2980 337 Roncesvalles Ave ., 647-341-4415
PHILIP SPARKS TAILORED GOODS INC . philipsparks . com You ’ ll think modern-nostalgia when you step into the store , which specializes in made-to-measure , custom menswear , bespoke suiting for women and eyewear . Think crisp dress shirts , suits , jackets and structured blazers made of wool and linen that fi t to a T . 130 Cawthra Ave ., Unit 107 , 647-348-1827
PINK TARTAN pinktartan . com Runway designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran ’ s line of feminine sportswear and chic garb lives in her Yorkville boutique , which carries all of Pink Tartan ’ s offerings . Don ’ t miss her trendy sunglasses and stunning box bags . You can also fi nd the line at their Bayview Village location in the north end of the city . Bayview Village Shopping Centre , 416-221-7700 77 Yorkville Ave ., 416-967-7700
ROOTS roots . com Inspired by Ontario ’ s Algonquin Park , Roots founders Michael Budman and Don Green started the company in 1973 . Roots is an internationally recognized name today , but their roots ( pun intended ) remain in the city it all started in . Their leather goods ( think bags , brief cases and jackets ) are tops , as are their classic varsity-inspired sweats and home furnishings . 80 Bloor St . W ., 416-323-3289 ; Toronto Eaton Centre , 416-593-9640 ; + 14 other Toronto stores