Last week, the most amazing thing happened. A group of prominent young British designers landed in Toronto to be feted at The Bay’s own Room on Queen St. Having swooned over many of their collections on Style.com for years, it was an incredible experience to have been able to meet and mingle with such creative geniuses as Canadian-born Erdem Moralioglu and Mark Fast, Jonathan Saunders, Nicholas Kirkwood, Giles Deacon, Marios Schwab, Tom Binns, Mary Katrantzou and the lovely Charlotte Olympia Dellal – all huge names worldwide, and all partying together at the same Room at the same time! When I first got the invite, I think le boyfriend went deaf from my…ahem…excitement. Huge thanks to Sandra for the invite! You’ve made my year!
I must say that I was quite nervous and starstruck by most of these talented individuals, and as Sharon of The Backseat Stylers put it, sometimes you have to remind yourself that designers too are people. If there was one designer that I really REALLY wanted to meet it had to be Erdem. I’ve always been fascinated by his beautiful, feminine designs and thankfully, the designer himself was just as charming in person. As a Canadian, who once upon a time went to Ryerson, he said that it felt great to come home, where he still has a lot of friends and family.
Later on at the party, I also got a chance to meet and speak to Charlotte Olympia Dellal, whose fun and fab outfit (peep the banana clutch) and whimsical shoes stole my heart, as did her cheeky personality.
Other attendees that night included Tommy Ton of Jak and Jil, whose photos are a huge inspiration to thousands of fashion lovers everywhere, and who is also notably a Canadian, Lisa Tant of Flare Magazine, Dan Levy of MTV Canada, and dozens of amazing Toronto bloggers. I had such an great time hanging out with Sharon and her hubby, Kimberly of The Souls of My Shoes, Lisa – The Hip Urban Girl, and meeting stylist Tricia Campbell Hall.
There were so many stylish people to photograph, so many beautiful (and I mean REALLY beautiful) clothes and shoes to look at – I can truthfully say that this was the event of the year in my books. So much talent and fashion under one roof, it was intoxicating.
And that’s the thing about the new Room at The Bay. It offers a wealth of labels to even the pickiest of shoppers, all carefully displayed in a gorgeous, brightly lit space, featuring trunk shows straight off the latest fashion shows, and giving its customers an opportunity to actually meet the designers. Even on a regular shopping day, The Room is an experience in itself, but pair it with what happened at The Next British Invasion gala, and you’ve got yourself a sure recipe for a night to remember. It might not feel like The Bay you already know, and perhaps it isn’t. This newly-improved Bay is way better!
What I Wore: Dress – Jacob; Blazer – Zara; Socks – H&M; Bag – Prada; Shoes – Miu Miu
Photo Credits: Style Blog, Last Photo Courtesy of The Backseat Stylers
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