SPRING 2019
L U X U R Y. L I V I N G . D E F I N E D .
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SPRING 2019
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CONTENTS
SPRING 2019
39
56
22
13
45
06 LETTERS 13
THE GOODS
Living Coral + Spring Scents
61
WINE
How some wines become icons
70 ON STAGE Live performances and events 72
COMMENT
Spring cleaning to spark joy
F E AT U R E S
DÉCOR
20 THE DESIGNERS
Colin McAllister + Justin Ryan on how to be an at-home barista
22
A ROOM WITH A VIEW A lush suite with a panoramic lake view
LIVING 34 SHAKE UP YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE
Four new workouts for body and mind
STYLE
39
DESIGNER PROFILE Sustainable label Hilary MacMillan
TRAVEL
45 ESCAPE
Three classical must-see cities
FOOD
18
56
RECIPES
Spring brunch ideas with Rosie Daykin
63
CRITIQUE
Arthur’s
CULTURE
66 ARTIST PROFILE Amy Shackleton
ON THE COVER: “Butter’s Avocado Toast,” excerpted from Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home by Rosie Daykin. Copyright © 2019 Rosie Daykin. Photography by Rosie Daykin and Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Chair: Home Société LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
5
LETTERS
EDITOR’S
note
6
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
EVERY
year at this time I begin to feel the need to clean windows. I’m sure it’s a holdover from a childhood in a house with far too many panes of glass to polish; that each year at this time I start to itch all over with the feeling that I should be cleaning. That I should hurry up and give everything a thorough sort, organize and scrubbing. Those who know me, know that I’m a fairly steadfast tidier most of the time. As soon as there is a breath of spring in the air though; I can’t wait to begin a thorough deep clean. This year, I’m going to point a finger squarely at diminutive, organizational guru Marie Kondo for amping up my usual spring cleaning routine. She touts a mandate of being organized and tidy in every area of your living space in order to find more happiness and joy in life – even for those of you who don’t find the smell of Lemon Windex intoxicating. “The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment,” Kondo says. I had flipped through a copy of her book when it hit shelves a few years ago; but it was the Netflix series (Tidying Up With Marie Kondo) that truly convinced me. Actually, seeing everything folded to within an inch of its life, and standing in rows in every
drawer is what really hooked me. Now, each drawer in my home is filled vertically. A “filing” system always made sense to me in the closet – sorted by type, and then colour for ease of use – but doing the same in drawers just never occurred to me. A nod to Ms. Kondo. Clever, clever woman. This isn’t just about being organized though, it’s about the peace of mind that comes with knowing where everything is; locating anything you want with ease; and being able to see that I own nine identical (almost) black t-shirts, so probably shouldn’t purchase anymore – black ones, at least. We hope you’ll find a bit of fresh springtime inspiration in these pages – whether from a new recipe, a local designer or just to add something new (and not black) to your closet. Happy spring.
HOLLY CRAWFORD Editor-in-Chief
INTERIOR | EXTERIOR | KITCHENS | BATHROOMS | FULL HOME ARCHITECTURE | DESIGN
LETTERS
PUBLISHERS
note
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN when my editor gave me a nudge the other day about writing my publisher’s letter for the spring issue. This is something that I always procrastinate writing! Not because I don’t have anything to say, quite the contrary, but rather which topics I can or should share with our readers. Mind you, I could write pages and pages about my opinions and thoughts. But I was told to only write about 500 words. So here goes … It’s been really exciting around the office lately. It gets like that once we actually see a cover for a new issue. A lot of pre-planning goes into each issue, as you can imagine! It’s only ideas at the beginning but once it’s actually on paper and you see it – it becomes real, and we all get excited. Lots of thought and visualizing goes into the selection of the cover of each issue. We try to give it personality and life, much like a real person. I consider it like getting dressed in the morning. It will always be me no matter what I wear, but what I wear tells people what I am like. Our cover is very much like that! It gives a glimpse of the luxury inside. This issue is especially exciting because I got to meet many more advertisers and readers that really like what we are doing at LUXE. It’s
amazing to hear when I meet someone and tell them I am with LUXE Magazine and they tell me how beautiful and luxurious it is. Of course, I couldn’t agree more! What is even more amazing is that I am surrounded with so many talented people. Not only in our office but in our city! People that can create things from nothing. People that can look at a blank canvas and imagine what it can become, and actually make it happen beautifully. That is all about imagination and dreams. Walt Disney once said; “If you can dream it, you can do it.” And many of us do! So, I hope you find this issue of LUXE Magazine a breath of fresh air that will add a little bit of spring to your day and colour to your dreams. Enjoy!
ORIANA MANTELLO Publisher
SPIRITED. SOULFUL. UNMISTAKABLY ST. KITTS. The splendor of St. Kitts is closer than you think. Now you can venture nonstop from Toronto with Air Canada, to discover a place so tranquil your laughter carries all the way down a golden-sand beach by a warm, tropical breeze. Home to historic sugar plantations, a majestic cloud-piercing volcano, and even a fortress of past civilizations. Visit today and nourish your soul with the spirit of St. Kitts.
For additional flight info visit luxestkitts.com
WEEKLY NONSTOP FLIGHTS Flight routes and duration are subject to change without notice.
CONTRIBUTORS L U X U R Y. L I V I N G . D E F I N E D Interior designers, style commentators, celebrity interviewers and lifestyle gurus COLIN MCALLISTER and JUSTIN RYAN split their time between Toronto, Haliburton and Glasgow. You may know them as hosts of Cabin Pressure (Cottage Life) judges on Game of Homes (W Network and Discovery Family) or experts on Cityline (City TV). Their eponymous decor line C+J Home is available at Homesense and Marshalls. Catch their latest program Great Canadian Cottages on Cottage Life.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1. SPRING 2019
Editor-in-Chief
HOLLY CRAWFORD Art Director
CAROLINE BISHOP Writers CHRIS CLAY, ANNE T. DONAHUE, WAHEEDA HARRIS, ANDREA KARR, JOSEPHINE MATYAS, COLIN MCALLISTER, MICHAEL PINKUS, JUSTIN RYAN, SHERRY SMITHER
Junior Designer FRANZISKA TRILSE
Photographers
WAHEEDA HARRIS has been a
LARRY ARNAL, LISA CRISPO, NICK IWANYSHYN
journalist since the beginning of the millennium, writing about stylish people, places and design-worthy things discovered near and far.
Additional Contributors ANDREA CIABATONNI, ANGELA GINA CIABATONNI, KATARINA MARINIC, NICOLE FOR THE BEAUTY TEAM
MICHAEL PINKUS has a love affair with wine that goes back
more than 20 years. He is a multi-award-winning journalist, past president of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada and a national and international wine judge. His articles have appeared in numerous national and international magazines.
O MEDIA GROUP President + Publisher
ORIANA MANTELLO Advertising Director ANTONIO DIPAOLO
ANNE T. DONAHUE
is a writer and person from Cambridge, Ontario. Her first book, Nobody Cares, came out last September.
ANDREA KARR is a Toronto-based writer with a
passion for style, travel and mental health. She has a master’s degree in Literatures of Modernity from Ryerson University and always has a book in hand.
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2019
Account Managers YVONNE XENIDIS
Accountants ARNINI STELLATO, LLP ASHLEY FURLANETTO
CONTACT US MAIL
LUXE Magazine, 242 Applewood Crescent, Suite 5, Concord, Ontario L4K 4E5 EMAIL
info@luxemagcanada.com PHONE
905.780.2639 LUXEMAGCANADA.COM LUXE Magazine is published quarterly and delivered to select homes in the GTA. For subscription inquiries email: info@luxemagcanada.com The reproduction of written material, illustration or photographs from this magazine is prohibited. Although precaution has be taken to ensure the information contained in LUXE Magazine is accurate, it is understood that the magazine cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions that may occur. The articles in this magazine are the exclusive responsibility of the authors.
McAllister and Ryan photo by Jeremy Kohm / Cottage Life.
As a widely published photographer both in Canada and the US, specializing in luxury interior design photography, LARRY ARNAL works with the best design the industry has to offer. “It’s a privilege and pleasure to have my work featured on the pages of Luxe Magazine Canada. Hopefully the beautiful spaces you read about in these pages can offer inspiration for your own home.”
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THE GOODS IN LIVING CORAL
Perfect for at-home lounging or poolside relaxing, the Hunter Original Adjustable Slide is all about comfort with a soft foam upper and lightweight, breathable foot bed. $55; hunterboots.com
WARM, PRETTY PINK-ORANGE SHADES THAT LOOK GOOD ON EVERYONE AND EVERYWHERE.
Toss an accent cushion to add a splash of colour. Zilli Home; zillihome.com
GIFTS
Long-wear, liquid shadow by Stila in “Dollish,” $31; available at Shoppers Drug Mart and stila.ca
Bring a pop of colour to an accent wall or breathe new life into a piece of furniture with Tangerine Dream by Benjamin Moore; benjaminmoore.com/en-ca
“Karolyn” dress by Ted Baker, $535; tedbaker.com The irresistible Diorshow On Stage Liner has a felt tip that creates a bold line. Easy to team with eyeshadow, it intensifies the eyes with pastel colour as fresh as a sorbet. Available in four shades, shown in 761 Pastel Orange, $35; Hudson’s Bay and dior.com
Sandal by Marc Cain, $620; marccain.com The “Audrey” armchair in plush velvet with feminine rouching from Covet House; covethouse.eu
One of our fave polishes now in a fresh coral hue for spring. Dior Vernis in Diorcharm, $34; Hudson’s Bay and dior.com LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
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THE GOODS
SPRING SCENTS
The iconic Aura Mugler heart-shaped bottle adorned with a delicate pink pearly veil for the season. A floral heart note of gardenia and cinnamon leaves along with sandalwood and tiger liana. Available at Hudson’s Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart and Murale, $96/50mL.
A scent that evokes the feeling of a sunny summer day with a blend of soft florals and woods. Top notes of cyclamen and neroli blend with violet leaves, freesia, rose and vanilla. Available at Sephora, $78/60mL.
Top notes of pink pepper, freesia, and mandarin are entwined with a seductive heart of pink rose, jasmine, and orris. Patchouli, sandalwood, and amber evoke the sweetness of a warm day. As captivating as the scent itself, the bottle is covered in three-dimensional pale pink flowers. Available at Hudson’s Bay and Shoppers Drug Mart, $80/50ml.
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
POPPIES, PEONIES AND PINK ROSES MINGLE TO CREATE SPRING’S BOUQUET OF NEW FRAGRANCES.
Inspired by the delicious scent of lemon and bitter orange flowers, perfumer Quentin Bisch pays homage to a dream-like vision of neroli. Bergamot, lemon and mandarin with base notes of orange blossom. Available exclusively at selected Hudson’s Bay locations (Queen Street, Yorkdale and Sherway), $240/75mL.
Composed by perfumer Francois DeMachy as an ode to the peony. Fruity with notes of strawberry and raspberry, along with rose and lily of the valley while draped in the lightest of woods and musks. From $220; dior.com for locations.
A vegan, hypoallergenic, cruelty-free fragrance that is made in Canada. Features ethically sourced rose essential oil that also offers aromatherapy benefits. Rose heart with cinnamon, sandalwood and vanilla. Available at Sephora, $88/50mL. A luscious scent with aromas of pear, raspberry and apricot blended with Himalayan jasmine and Rose de Grasse. Available at Sephora, $98/50mL, $36/8mL rollerball.
Home is where the heart is. At Zilli Home, we travel the globe searching for the latest in home furnishings. Our In-Home Consultation, Exceptional Customer Service and White Glove Delivery set us apart. We look forward to creating the home of your dreams. What's your design style? Find out at zillihome.com/quiz.
Storefront 672 Chrislea Road, Woodbridge 289-268-0020 Online ZILLIHOME.COM Instagram @zilli.home
The Most Exclusive Brands in One Place
20,000 sf Designer Showroom
Canaroma, Canada’s leading importers of bath, tile, kitchen and lighting products for 40 years. Our designer showroom showcases over 40 beautiful bathroom settings. Canaroma is the Canadian exclusive dealers for international brands which comprise of: Artelinea, Aquos, Ardeco, Armadi Art, CEA, GB Group, Glass Design, Knief, Macral, Oasis, Onsen, Sherle Wagner, Sicis, Vissoni and more.
4o
CELEBRATING
YEARS 1979-2019
7 9 7 9 We s t o n R d Va u g h a n O N L 4 L 1 A 6 t e l : 9 0 5 . 8 5 6 .7 9 7 9 w w w. c a n a ro m a . c o m
HOME SARAH RICHARDSON COLLAB WITH PA L L I S E R
Canadian furniture manufacturer Palliser has announced their first ever collaboration with award-winning designer and television personality Sarah Richardson. The collection will launch at the spring High Point Market, with consumer availability to follow by September. The collaboration embodies an accessible yet elegant approach to design that combines Richardson’s signature aesthetic with the quality and craftsmanship of Palliser. “Palliser will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year and launching Sarah Richardson for Palliser feels like a great way to mark this milestone” says Palliser president and CEO, Peter Tielmann. “Sarah shares our passion for details and quality and working with her was a true partnership. For over a year she collaborated closely with our team leading the design concepts, selecting the materials and textiles and spending time at our manufacturing facilities here in Canada and in Indonesia. We brought her vision to life leveraging our broad range of manufacturing expertise and the high-quality craftsmanship that we’re known for.” Sarah Richardson for Palliser signifies a new chapter for the 75-year-old Winnipeg-based manufacturer. Retail partners will be announced on sarahrichardson.palliser.com
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
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STYLE
MAISON BIRKS UNVEILS BRAND’S FIRST CANDLE Canada’s leading luxury fine jewelry brand since 1879 recently announced the launch of their first-ever candle, Birks Boréal. Designed in collaboration with world-renowned, U.K. based perfumer Lyn Harris, Birks Boréal is a scented ode to the Canadian countryside. Using all-natural essences, Harris created a scent “reminiscent of a morning at the cottage in Canada, a memory filled with nostalgia for anyone who has spent time and enjoyed Canada’s natural wonders.” Harris describes the compelling notes as, “A forest floor of pine needles, the wet and humid soil, the green alpine air, the sugary sweet notes of pine sap and the clean fresh wood fuse to inspire the richness of a Canadian landscape.” Drawing inspiration from natural elements including tree branches and pebbles, the Birks Boréal beeswax candle bears notes of fresh pine, maple syrup and smoky embers. Available online and in-store, $95; maisonbirks.com
A B O L D B AT H
HOME SOCIÉTÉ OPEN A new and innovative destination for luxury home goods and inspirational design just popped up in the Yorkdale area (1270 Caledonia Road). Home Société is brought to you by Canadian leaders in the design and retail worlds of furniture and décor Maison Corbeil, Jardin de Ville and La Galerie du Meuble. The new 80,000 square-foot space features a unique collection of Canadian designs, customizable furniture and accessories and promises a curated selection of furniture and accessories for home and garden. homesociete.ca
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
The “Riviere” console by Oasis makes a bold design statement with its art déco inspired lines. The vanity is finished in gloss black with a Nero marquinia marble top and stainless-steel basin in a gold finish. Available with one or two drawers, or a combination of drawers and doors. Oasis is based in Italy and has one of the widest range of luxury bathroom products in the world. Available exclusively at Canaroma; canaroma.ca
P R O T E C T H O M E S F R O M WAT E R D A M A G E W I T H G R O H E Whether by slow drips or sudden pipe bursts, water leaks can lead to substantial home repairs. The new Grohe Sense and Sense Guard water management system offers reliable protection against costly water damage by notifying homeowners about excess moisture or leaks using a convenient smartphone app. The Grohe Sense is a smart water sensor that can be placed in your home wherever you see a risk, such as the basement, laundry room, bathroom or kitchen. It detects leaking water and alerts you via the app. Grohe Sense Guard uses multiple sensors to track water pressure and the flow of water and measures general water consumption. It automatically turns off the water supply when it detects unusual water activity. In addition to its water leak detection capabilities, Grohe Sense protects against frost and mold risks, by measuring room temperature and humidity. If either is above or below the standard threshold, or a leak is detected, the smart water sensor sends homeowners an automatic alert via the smartphone app. grohe.ca
maple drapery
design studio
Alustra® Duette® with PowerView® Motorization
Thirty years of transforming houses to homes...
Silhouette® with EasyRise™
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8481 Keele St., #11A Concord, ON 905.660.7290 & 12967 Keele St., King City, ON 905.833.5464
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mapledraperyandcarpet.hunterdouglas.ca
THE DESIGNERS
Oracle Touch by Breville
WA K E U P & SMELL THE COFFEE… IT’S TIME TO LUXE UP YOUR CAFFEINE INTAKE, AND YOUR KITCHEN STYLE SAY COLIN & JUSTIN. IT’S NO SECRET that Canadians love (as do we) their
by C O L I N M C A L L I S T E R & J U S T I N R YA N
20
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
impression… we so needed a coffee…
coffee. Statistics proclaim it’s the country’s second
We soon learned that “bean juice” in Australia
most consumed beverage, after water. Literally all
is a religion, and a highly fashionable one at that.
year round. Aye, whatever the barometric charts care
The notion of coffee as a way of life springs from
to deliver, Canadians seem hell bent on lapping up
the hipster suburbs that have redefined the hallowed
their beloved bean juice at every single turn.
brew as a lifestyle choice, a mantra and as a vital
Our own love affair with coffee started many
component that adds personal pleasure, warmth and
moons ago whilst filming a TV show in Melbourne,
luxury to all who’re lured by its intoxicating aroma.
Australia. Having snatched an afternoon free from
Antipodean coffee bars, we learned from our time
our filming schedule, we ventured into Prahran, one
down under, tend not to be mass produced global
of the city’s hipper enclaves.
brands. Australia, in fact, such is the love for inde-
Stumbling from our taxi to join the hoards
pendent cafes, respect for baristas and the drive for
of fashionistas promenading Chapel Street, we
amazing coffee, is one of the few countries in which
swooned at the Victorian architecture, the verna-
Starbucks struggled to make an impact.
cular of which provided a stunning backdrop to
But, of course we can’t tell the story of coffee
our stolen hours. Later, settled in a cute wee stre-
without referencing Italy, and the country’s influence
etside café, we tried not to rubber neck as Academy
on the world’s caffeine appetite; which dates back
Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett floated by on
to the 1940s, when Italian immigrants, taking with
a cloud of Hollywood glamour. Wow, what a first
them their affection for coffee, scattered across the
THE DESIGNERS
globe, post-World War II. In Australia, Italian café culture
our assistant unboxed it in
married well with the climate and laid back lifestyle, and,
studio, we swooned. Seriously:
before long coffee drinking was established as a luxury
in a world where many other
leisure must-have.
machines have taken on a
Yes indeed, “at home” coffee consumption has come
homogenous appearance, this
a long way. Transitioning from the humble stove top
shiny Italian stallion is next
pots and percolators of the 1970s, to the oh so chi-chi
level gorgeous. And OMG, the
French press plunging that proliferated the 1980s (and
coffee it delivers…
beyond) coffee is no longer simply a drink: it’s a way of
So a little history? Elektra, a
life. And a seriously hip way of life at that. But which
third generation family-owned
device should you choose?
business, was founded in 1947
For those of you who aspire to join the hipster coffee
in the Veneto region of Northern
brigade, the Oracle Touch, from Australian manufacturer
Italy. But worry not – you can find
Breville, is the machine equivalent of having your very
the company’s feted devices, this
own barista in the kitchen. And its operation couldn’t
side of the Atlantic, via respected
Le Creuset
be easier; a fully automated, touch screen simplifies everything into three easy steps: grinding, brewing and milk preparation. Before long you’ll be adjusting coffee strength, milk “texture” and temperature and then, hey presto, saving that “pattern” under your very own
IT’S FAIR TO REPORT THAT COFFEE – AND THE BURGEONING APPETITE FOR IT – HAS BECOME A REVOLUTION
name so that each delicious cup brewed, thereafter, is identical. It’s an undeniably clever contraption
Canadian merchants Zuccarini (zuccarini.ca)
and a strikingly handsome appliance, to boot. Position
But an Elektra is about way more than simply
one on your countertop and its chunky lines and stain-
hardware. Invest in the Rolls Royce of caffeine delivery,
less-steel cladding will joosh up your kitchen in the
via Zuccarini, and you won’t simply be buying a coffee
same way a shot of espresso would enliven your day.
maker, you’ll be acknowledging and supporting the
Another appliance of which we’re particularly fond
very people who brought espresso machines to Canada
is The Elektra MicroCasa a Leva, a piston operated
for the first time. In 1954, Giacomo Zuccarini opened
beauty available in three gleaming finishes to comple-
his Sidewalk Caffé at Toronto’s Yonge and College, and
ment your existing décor. Operating this machine is a
so much more than coffee drinking began. Around the
wonderfully hands-on experience that, whilst requi-
same time, the company’s distribution of the Gaggia
ring a lil’ practice and commitment to perfect (essen-
line commenced, which led in turn to their becoming
tial characteristics for a professional at-home barista)
a primary distributor of several similarly exclusive
is little short of a joy. And seriously: just look at those
marquees, not least the beautiful Elektra.
steam punk lines. It is, quite literally, one of the loveliest objects we’ve ever seen. Before rhapsodising further, allow us to spool back in time, to a holiday we enjoyed some years past, in a cute
From the hefty lever that presses water through the coffee grounds, to the pressure gauge that tells you when the MicroCasa a Leva is ready, the entire experience is wildly rewarding.
wee town on the fringes of Rome. Back then, this coffee-lo-
It’s fair to report that coffee – and the burgeoning
ving duo found itself in a tiny café, flirting with an insanely
appetite for it – has become a revolution, with an arsenal
glamourous woman who bore an uncanny resemblance,
of associated paraphernalia to satisfy the most style savvy
and was of a similar vintage, to Sophia Loren.
connoisseur. Hey, these days (with minimal effort) you
Boasting a gravity defying terracotta bouffant, exag-
can dress your kitchen to resemble your favourite coffee
gerated shoulder pads and a sexy Italian burr, she chat-
bar without so much as breaking a sweat. The market
tered animatedly (in broken, but compelling English)
place, quite simply, is awash with choice.
whilst brewing thick black coffee, for our thirsty
From Japanese slow drip contraptions by Hario
delectation, from a spellbinding contraption around
(hario-canada.ca) that take a staggering seven hours to
which her perfectly manicured hands danced. The
deliver one cup of cold brew coffee, to French press jugs
memory of that device (and her scarlet fingernails)
(in 11 colours) by Le Crueset (lecreuset.ca) and mono-
remains to this day, and the experience served as our
grammed espresso cups, it’s now easy to nail a style
first exposure to Elektra, all Belle Époque turn of the
story that’ll make your décor every bit as individual
century styling and shiny metal finishes.
as your delicious custom beverage. Put simply, it’s all a
We tracked down an Elektra in Canada, and, as
Elektra Microcasa a Leva
matter of taste… LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
21
A
ROOM Fo r e v e r H o m e with a
Elizabeth Metcalfe Interiors + Design create a striking design with timeless style
VIEW
by W A H E E D A H A R R I S + photography by A L E X L U K E Y
A TORONTO PENTHOUSE LURES A COUPLE DOWNTOWN by W A H E E D A H A R R I S
•
A NEW RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY has emerged east of
lake, the lights of the city and the strong structural style
Toronto’s Harbourfront district, home to a fashionable
of the building. I needed to create a design that didn’t
penthouse with an enviable combination: unparalelled
detract from the surroundings and worked with the
views of Lake Ontario and the city skyline.
suite’s contemporary style,” explains Lee.
The expansive corner suite proved to be irresistible
The décor plan needed to soften an ultramodern
to the homeowners, thanks to the abundance of
envelope, and create partitions without blocking views.
natural light and spacious interior and exterior floor
Lee chose light neutral tones such as cream, white,
plan. “The husband casually mentioned to his wife, I
stone and sand, highlighted with warm wood and
bought you a condominium,” explains Pancy Pong.
metals, calming shades of gray and blue and the occa-
“They lived in the suburbs and suddenly they have a
sional accent of butter yellow. A trip to the Milan Furni-
new home downtown.”
ture Fair by Pong and Lee led to selecting many of the
Pong is Director of Development for The Oskar
22
photography by L A R R Y A R N A L
furnishings found throughout this urban retreat.
Group, and was project manager over three years of
The penthouse’s entry features Ontario Algonquin
construction and design, working with Cityzen Deve-
limestone (also found in bathrooms and kitchen)
lopment Group and 2pir design’s Calland Lee, who
leading to an eye-catching and bold sculpture commis-
previously worked with Toronto’s Yabu Pushelberg. The
sioned by the homeowners from Toronto artist Dennis
condominium’s original layout was two bedroom with
Lin. The curved banded wood is layered like flower
one-and-a-half bath and was revised to a three bedroom
petals, an organic welcome to the residence. White oak
with three -and-a-half bath.
plank flooring is found throughout the home.
How to transform the raw 8,000 square-foot space?
To one side is the library, a cozy space for the couple
Lee’s first challenge was balancing the building’s archi-
to indulge in a movie, enjoyed from a custom-designed
tecture and environment with the residence’s interior
couch created by Whittington & Co., which also has a
design. “There’s a lot of competition: the view of the
secret: it’s a hide-a-bed too. Custom shelving constructed
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HOME
This penthouse suite boasts expansive views across Lake Ontario.
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HOME
A sculpture commissioned by the homeowners from Toronto artist Dennis Lin.
from white oak and Macassar ebony feature a lighting system enhancing the millwork and displayed artwork and collectibles, while a circular B&B Italia Amoenus sofa in white leather offers a perch for reading underneath a CB2 floor lamp. A silk and wool rug is the final touch, one of four bespoke carpets created by 2pir design for the home, and manufactured by Dutch company ICE International. Created as a series, each carpet is distinctive, inspired by patterns seen underwater. The opposite side leads to a streamlined kitchen/entertaining space designed by Downsview Kitchens including Miele appliances and an oversized quartz island with four stools at one end and four chairs (seating by Restoration Hardware) surrounding a custom-made breakfast table at the other. The kitchen cabinetry is a combination of white lacquer and white oak, with a textured tile backsplash sourced from Ciot, and highlighted by a set of four Viso Wandering Star pendant lights in Carrara marble with brass detail. The interior piece de resistance is the relaxing living and dining room and lounge, dominated by a two-sided fireplace, with stone sourced from Ciot. “I didn’t want the main living space to be a fish tank,” says Lee. The stone’s pattern acts as a piece of art as well as a nod to nature, while furniture keeps a low profile. The 10-seat dining area includes a solid oak table from Restoration Hardware, leather and metal Cervino chairs from Belgian furniture design company Linteloo and the tabletop illuminated by a custom fixture from NYC’s Lindsey Adelman Studio. Anchored by another of the four bespoke rugs, the main seating area
A neutral envelope and furnishings are anchored by bespoke rugs.
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includes sofas from B&B Italia accented with yellow and white pillows, a black marble top side table from Minotti, a natural oak coffee table from Restoration Hardware and four sculptural marble and metal side tables,
HOME
A dramatic focal point is the two-sided fireplace.
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HOME
The kitchen is a modern mix of cool whites and warm wood.
THE
SOURCE LIST AGAPE agapedesign.it ART SQUARED art-squared.com B&B ITALIA bebitalia.com CB2 cb2.com CHRISTOPHE DELCOURT christophedelcourt.com CIOT ciot.com DENNIS LIN STUDIOS dennislinstudios.com ICE INTERNATIONAL rugs.nl KETTAL kettal.com LA CHANCE lachance.paris/salute
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LINDSEY ADELMAN STUDIO lindseyadelman.com LINTELOO linteloo.com MINOTTI minotti.com
selected from the Salute table collection
and toilet tucked into separate spaces and
designed by Sebastian Herkner for La
a custom-created dressing table complete
Chance. The lounge includes the third
the glamourous room.
custom rug, a metal screen commissioned
The expansive terrace was another chal-
from UnitFive Design, two daybeds and a
lenge for Lee. “It was intimidating on
chair to gaze out at the sailboats on Lake
how to design this vast space. I wanted
Ontario.
to create something that was timeless
The third bedroom is being used as an
and yet offered many functions.” As the
office, with a Minotti desk and custom
infinity swimming pool had been already
millwork creating a shelving space to
planned, Lee focused on creating different
keep work object organized and out of
hang-out zones around it.
sight, while concealed lighting highlights collectibles on display.
A door from the kitchen leads to the enviable 4,000 square-foot terrace. An
The couple’s master suite is a minima-
outdoor kitchen has stools surrounding a
list and restful haven for the homeowners.
large marble table with grill, a low seating
POLTRONA FRAU poltronafrau.com
A gray leather headboard sits beneath art
area is paired with a Restoration Hardware
sourced from Art Squared and accompa-
fire table and a pergola designed by Toron-
PUNCHCLOCK METALWORKS punchclockmetal.com
nied by a pair of leather Poltrona Frau Aida
to’s Punchclock Metalworks offers another
chairs, a Christophe Delcourt table and the
shaded seating area (and hides the engine-
fourth custom rug. Floor-to-ceiling sliding
ering, drainage and auto-shade system).
RESTORATION HARDWARE restorationhardware.com
screens in oak divide the sleeping space
All the terrace furniture was custom-cre-
from the walk-in closet (custom designed
ated by Spanish furniture company Kettal.
UNITFIVE DESIGN unitfive.ca
by 2pir) and the master bath, while drapes
The stone terrace leads to wood steps
add a warm touch to the windows and the
and the wood deck surrounding the raised
lights of the city skyline.
pool area, featuring lounge chairs and
VISO visoinc.com
Featuring the sexy Spoon bathtub from
umbrellas for shade on those endless
Italy’s Agape and highlighted by a trio of
sunny summer days. This penthouse suite
WHITTINGTON & CO. whittingtonco.ca
Gemma lights from VISO, the bathroom
can boast of having the only pool-top
sparkles thanks to a wall of semi-precious
terrace in the vicinity, and these home-
onyx in white, blue and yellow from
owners can happily indulge in all the
Ciot. An oversized walnut vanity, shower
amenities of being downtown dwellers.
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HOME
An expansive 4,000 square-foot terrace offers the ultimate spot to unwind with views across the city and the lake.
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Find what makes her sparkle.
5731 Highway 7 West, Woodbridge 905-856-0116 marcellojewellers@yahoo.ca
marcellojewellers.com
WESTHAVEN VILLA
Creating fine jewellery for more than 51 years
LIVING
N O T Y O U R G R A N D M A’ S K N I T T I N G
If you’re a fan of the “box” trend, check out European-based DIY knitting kit company We are Knitters. They recently expanded into the Canadian marketplace including country-wide shipping and a steadfast commitment to nurturing and fostering collaborations with local retailers. The expansion enables Canadians to purchase kits online and have everything shipped right to the door. You’ll also find perfectly curated collections through co-branded collaborations available at retailers across the country including Urban Outfitters, Merci, Galeries Lafayette and Anthropologie. Internationally-recognized as the global leaders in the knitting world, We Are Knitters encourages creativity and self-wellness through the art of knitting. Often described as “the
new yoga,” knitting celebs including Demi Lovato, Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts and Krysten Ritter (with whom We Are Knitters has a collaboration), have all publically expressed their love of knitting. The kits, ranging in all levels of difficulty, come in a variety of options from classic wool scarves and blankets (perfect for the hot hygge trend), to bags and apparel. You only need to choose the colours and pattern and the rest is covered, including: The perfect amount of 100 per cent Peruvian wool skeins in the colour of your choice; sustainably sourced 100 per cent beechwood needles (no plastics); step-by-step pattern on how to complete the piece; tapestry needle for final touches. weareknitters.ca
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LIVING R A R E LY V I E W E D T R E A S U R E S AT T H E R O M The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) recently unveiled an exhibition of rarely seen royal treasures from Marwar-Jodhpur, one of the largest former princely states in India. The ROM is the exclusive Canadian venue for Treasures of a Desert Kingdom: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India. The exhibit explores a number of thought-provoking themes, including the cross-pollination of new ideas through art and culture; the strong role of women in the royal court; the importance of royal patronage and the power of art as a tool of diplomacy. Augmented reality will bring the oldest surviving Mughal tent to life and showcase historical scenes of figures from the royal court. There are nearly 250 works of art and objects from the former kingdom of MarwarJodhpur including lavish ceremonial objects, opulent jewellery, rich textiles and tapestries, luxurious palace furnishings, architectural treasures and a monumental 17th-century court tent showcasing the history of the royal dynasty that ruled for more than 700 years. This exhibition is the first time that most of the objects have been seen outside the palace walls, on display until September. rom.on.ca
GETTING STEAMY The Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie located inside the Shangri-la Hotel Toronto introduced a new treatment for Spring: The Turkish Bath Ritual. If you’re a steam lover, this one’s for you. After years of providing an invigorating full body exfoliation treatment, the Hammam & Gommage, the spa sought out new ways to indulge guests, and from that the Turkish Bath Ritual was born. Treat yourself to 55 minutes in the spa’s privately booked steam chamber, this treatment aims to not only detoxify and exfoliate, but re-hydrate as well. Post scrub, your body will receive the ultimate cleanse in a cloud of foam, leaving your skin silky and soft. Even more, you’ll now get to choose between the spa’s new nourishing hair wash treatment or their traditional mineral infused full body Rhassoul Clay Masque. From $225; mirajcaudaliespa.com
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R E A DY TO MAKE AN ESCAPE After wild success across Canada and around the world, Escape Manor has placed their crown jewel in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District. The gorgeous three-level venue brings together incredible entertainment experiences with a fully licensed bar, immersive games lounge, axe throwing, and unbelievably real escape rooms all under one roof. escapemanor.com
F I R S T C A N A D I A N G U E R L A I N S PA O P E N I N G AT H O T E L X Hotel X Toronto by Library Hotel Collection will add a touch of luxury to its list of resort-style amenities when Canada’s first Guerlain Spa opens later this summer. Guerlain, the French perfume, cosmetics and skincare house, among the oldest and most prestigious brands in the world, is a perfect complement to the hotel’s passion for wellness and a balanced lifestyle. The partnership will create an exclusive new menu of personalized treatments focusing on beauty and wellbeing while using signature products for facials, massages and body treatments. The Guerlain Spa at Hotel X Toronto will offer ten treatment rooms with gorgeous pre-and-post stay relaxation rooms with spectacular views overlooking Lake Ontario. hotelxtoronto.com
Join us as we continue our story.
Italian born. Canadian made.
Untitled-2 1
Over the last 40 years, the Ferri family has been dedicated to delivering the ultimate in sales, customer service, and employee satisfaction. While we write our next chapter, we hope you’ll join us as we continue our story as R. Ferri Automotive. For us, passion for automotive excellence is a family affair. More than that – it’s a way of life.
rferriautomotive.com
8/21/19 12:09 PM
FITNESS
HARDER, BETTER, FASTER,
WORK YOUR BOD (AND YOUR BRAIN) AT THE HOTTEST NEW FITNESS STUDIOS TAKING OVER THE 6IX by A N D R E A K A R R IF YOU’RE STUCK in a rut and crave a change of pace or place to reinvigorate your health goals, book a class at one of these stunning new locales in the heart of Toronto. You may end up boxing, spinning or planking your way to better fitness, or simply taking a moment to sit down and breathe (for once!). Whatever you choose, it could be just the thing you need to get your mind and body back on track.
GOOD FORM Known for its muscle shake-inducing workouts, Studio Lagree (studiolagree.com) has branched out to Toronto’s east end with a
Studio Lagree
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new location at 672 Queen Street East. It’s the perfect fitness destination for anyone looking for a no-impact strength session (like a mix of Pilates and bodybuilding) that targets every muscle with slow, controlled movements and fast transitions. If you’re a newbie, or simply want to perfect your technique, try Intro to the Lagree Method for a slower-paced class that’s offered exclusively at the Queen East studio. The east end location is also the first in the GTA to have the M3S MegaFormer, the latest generation of MegaFormer (like a fancy Pilates reformer) that allows a greater variety of movements and challenge levels.
Joy Ride, photo by Cameron Bartlett; Fight Club, photo by Daniel Ocean; Mind Games, photo by James Aaron Jose
STRONGER
FITNESS JOY RIDE It’s not just a spin club, it’s a way of life. New to Greektown, Loft Cycle Club (452 Danforth Avenue, loftcycleclub.com) is an airy 4,000-square-foot lifestyle hub with a 41-bike spin studio, 18-person sculpt room, coffee-andsmoothie café and shop with essential oils, jewellery and fitness gear. Alternate between satisfying your cardio craving with the signature spin class and honing your strength with one of three mat classes: Build (which features highintensity circuits that strengthen muscles and improve posture), Burn (uses light weights and focuses on core strength) and Balance (blends stretching and mobility exercises). The studio also offers “Mom & Babe” sessions where you can bring your mini me to your workout and rehab your pelvic floor.
FIGHT CLUB Located in a 130-year-old building just south of Chinatown, Drop Boxing (161 Spadina Avenue, drop-boxing.com) is an urban oasis of concrete, white-washed walls, neon lights and thumping music. But the best thing about it? Unlike most boxing studios, the 50-minute classes target body parts by day of the week so you and can plan your weekly routine accordingly. Monday is legs and booty, Tuesday is chest, back and
abs, Wednesday is shoulders and arms, Thursday is booty and abs and Friday through Sunday classes work the full body. Plus, every day you’ll get the benefit of pummeling out your stress. The studio uses aqua punching bags for a real feel with minimal impact and also offers personal training and in-house rehab services.
MIND GAMES Mental health should be just as much of a priority as the strength of your heart or the shape of your glutes. That’s why MINDSET Brain Gym (62 Cumberland Street, mindsetbraingym.com) provides guided meditation classes that act like a workout for the most important organ in your body: your brain. Stop by the Yorkville location (the first Mindset location in Canada) to sip kombucha, browse through the bookshop and attend a drop-in class in stress relief, relaxation, self-compassion or the manifestation of intentions. If you’re a bit competitive, try “Focus,” a session designed to boost productivity and improve concentration. It includes the rental of a Muse headband, which uses EEG technology to measure and record brainwaves so you can track your focus levels.
CLASSES THAT ACT LIKE A WORKOUT FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGAN IN YOUR BODY: YOUR BRAIN
Drop Boxing
Mind Games, photo by James Aaron Jose
Loft Cycle Club
MINDSET
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STYLE MORE SUSTAINABLE SHAMPOO L’ O R É A L P R O F E S S I O N N E L’ S L A T E S T B AT C H O F P R O D U C T S A R E B A S E D O N A N E T H I C A L A N D M O R E S U S TA I N A B L E formulation and manufacturing process. Formulated with 80 to 100 per cent high-quality, naturally derived ingredients, Source Essentielle is the very first L’Oréal Professionnel range of natural, professional hair care products that can be refilled in salons. Easily recognizable by its delicate flower inclusions in suspension, Source Essentielle was designed to be a model of sustainable innovation and consumption. The packaging is recyclable and refillable in salon, formulas are transparent and detailed on each packaging. Shampoos, balms, oils and creams do not contain any animal origin ingredients or byproducts, and are certified ECOCERT COSMOS NATURAL. Available in salons beginning in May, MSRP from $28 to $38.
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STYLE LUSH LASHES Linda Secondi couldn’t find the perfect set of faux lashes, so she created her own. The founder of Lithe Lashes, a Canadian brand that focuses on being cruelty-free and natural looking says, “I couldn’t find anything on the market that aligned with my values, so I built Lithe around a few core principles: the brand needed to be environmentally responsible and 100 per cent cruelty-free, our product had to be superior quality and completely unique, and the experience needed to feel custom – from product to packaging.” Each lash is hand-crafted using a blend of high grade synthetic fibres (free from mink or silk) that are sewn onto a thin and durable soft cotton band. From $30 each; lithelashes.com
FIRST CANADIAN VALENTINO BOUTIQUE OPEN The first Canadian Valentino boutique opened at Yorkdale Shopping Centre on March 1, showcasing the concept of a palazzo-like atmosphere, steering away from the showroom approach of a traditional boutique. The interior – by David Copperfield Architects – is designed to complement the pieces on display, using a range of discretely opulent materials. The floor throughout is terrazzo, the walls are Venetian palladiana, resulting in a space that reflects the brand’s core values of craftsmanship, romanticism and classical style. The new boutique carries all womenswear and menswear categories, accessories and fragrances. valentino.com; yorkdale.com
CROWD SOURCED COSMETICS If you haven’t heard of Volition Beauty, you’re missing one of the hottest trends in product development – crowd sourcing. Volition empowers real people to create beauty products by pairing innovators with labs and chemists to create highquality and effective products and bring them to the consumer. Recently made available in Canada via Sephora, their newest product, Strawberry-C Brightening Serum, is inspired by an innovator who was making face masks at home. The brightening serum is packed with a high concentrate of strawberry-derived vitamin C for radiance, hydration and even-toned skin. Other key ingredients include Kakadu Plum to reinforce luminosity and reduce redness and Sodium Hyaluronate to promote elasticity and replenish moisture. $60; sephora.com
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BRING ON THE FRINGE Capture a touch of spring’s boho vibe in this suede bag with fringe details from Longchamp. A stirrup-style buckle echoes the brand’s equestrian spirit, while the signature is discreetly hotstamped on the leather. “Amazone Hobo Bag” by Longchamp, $1,320; ca.longchamp.com
S I M O N S PA R T N E R S WITH MARIE-EVE L E C AVA L I E R Montreal-based designer Marie-Eve Lecavalier partnered with Simons to produce the retailer’s first designer collab. The nostalgia-filled collection of dresses, skirts, tops, pantsuits and jackets in a vibrant colour palette of gold, pink, orchid and blue will be available at all nine Simons locations across Canada until September. Prices range from $30 to $595; simons.ca
STYLE
Designer Profile
DEEP IMPACT Transitioning to a fully vegan label for her spring/summer 2019 collection is just one of the ways that Toronto designer Hilary MacMillan is making her mark on the Canadian fashion scene – and reducing her footprint on the world. by A N D R E A K A R R
AT FIRST GLANCE, Hilary MacMillan’s latest collection for her eponymous label seems breezy and carefree. Whether you peruse the racks at her Cabbagetown studio or click through photos of her designs at hilarymacmillan.com, you’ll notice bursts of pattern and colour – a sea of red and blue mosaic tile-inspired prints sprinkled across joggers, a bell-sleeved dress, a floor-length kimono, a blousy pair of shorts. Yes, there are a few basics – if you can call them that – like a pair of wide-legged white trousers or a sky-blue slip dress; but the overwhelming message seems to be to let loose and have a bit of fun with fashion. Creating a sense of play is one of MacMillan’s goals every season, but for spring/ summer 2019, she also made a significant step toward building a world that she wants to live in. As of this year, Hilary MacMillan is a fully vegan brand – a rarity on the Canadian fashion scene – which means the line avoids fur, leather, feathers, wool and silk on all garments. The decision stemmed from MacMillan’s own lifestyle choices, as
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STYLE
she’s been a vegetarian for most of her life and became vegan three years ago. “I was reading and looking online,” she says. “And [consuming animal products] sat funny with me, so I decided to try veganism. I felt great [physically], plus I felt better about my choices.” The same process applied when she began to learn more about animal cruelty and the fashion industry, then realized how significantly technology has improved when it comes to quality vegan fabric alternatives. About a year-and-a-half ago, MacMillan began sourcing new materials and as of this year her label is completely cruelty-free. “I’m not a preachy vegan and I don’t think that people should be,” she says. “Every person’s pathway is their own. But [transitioning my label] made me feel better about what I was doing in life.” Taking a stance against animal cruelty isn’t the only way that MacMillan recognizes the vast consequences that clothing production can have for the planet. Sustainability – a huge issue for the fashion industry, as the second largest polluter in the world – has also been on her radar for years, and she continues to look for more eco-friendly options for manufacturing and
FASHION IS NOT ONLY ABOUT MAKING PRETTY THINGS ANYMORE. OUR GENERATION IS USING OUR DOLLARS FOR OUR BELIEFS.
materials. “I didn’t grow up with fast fashion,” she says. “It came around when I was in my teens and it’s not something I really thought about at that time. But when all of those people died in the Bangladesh factory [collapse, which claimed the lives of more than
1,000
workers],
it
was
horrific, an eye-opener. Then there are videos coming out of all this plastic on the beach. We’re starting to see the impact of our lives more.” To do her part, she’s looking at using recycled plastic buttons for her spring/summer 2020 collection, which is already in the works. She also tries to keep as much of her it means she’s able to produce more styles at lower units, plus there is less harm to the environment caused by transporting garments from overseas. MacMillan admits that she feels significant pressure to make socially conscious decisions, even though she heads up a small Canadian business whose choices will ultimately have fewer ramifications for the planet than those of a global, fast-fashion brand. When she created her first collection in 2013 – 12 looks that she sold at her sister’s Toronto boutique, Elle Hardware – she thought her raison d’être was “to make nice things that people would like to wear,” she says. “But being more visible now as a brand, we get a lot of comments from a lot of people.” Since social media platforms have become such widely used forums for criticism, MacMillan has become painfully aware of the opinions about her label that swirl in the ether. “Everyone’s always asking where we’re donating,” she says. “We get people telling us that we should be using wool. They’ll say we’re virtue signaling for feminism [particularly when she stamped a varsity jacket with “feminist” in large block letters after attending a women’s march in Washington]. There are a lot of comments, both positive and negative. Fashion is not only about making pretty things anymore. Our generation is using our dollars for our beliefs.” On the other side of the spectrum, though, is a large percentage of the population that doesn’t give much thought to how their clothes are made or where their money goes. “Whether you buy from a designer, or you buy fast fashion, you’re putting your money behind it and you’re supporting it,” she says. “People don’t always realize that, but every day, you’re making that choice.” While the people who buy her clothes may understand the value of purchasing from small, locally made brands – for the environment, the economy and Canada’s creative culture – that’s largely not the case for the average shopper who might be putting their budget first. “A lot of consumers don’t care if a brand is Canadian
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Photos by Ted Belton; Runway photos by George Pimentel, MacMillan portrait by Ryan Emberley.
manufacturing in Canada as possible – right now it sits at about 60 per cent – because
Photos by Ted Belton; Runway photos by George Pimentel, MacMillan portrait by Ryan Emberley.
STYLE
or if it’s not. Many people don’t even know which brands are Canadian,” she says. “The government doesn’t support us that much, either. You know how on the radio, you have to have a certain amount of Canadian content? Why isn’t there something like that for the fashion industry? Maybe boutiques should get a tax break if they sell a certain amount of Canadian goods.” She notes that it’s also very difficult to produce her clothes within the country, because “manufacturing in Canada is dying” and there are so few options left. If the government cares about Canadian businesses, and Canadians want more sustainable fashion brands to choose from, MacMillan thinks that something needs to change. Perhaps one of the reasons that her Canadian label continues to grow despite the challenges of a sometimes unsupportive, fickle and judgemental marketplace is because MacMillan manages to walk the line between crafting pretty, accessibly-priced clothes that celebrate the playful side of fashion and producing garments that align with her own values and those of a more socially aware millennial generation. Even on her worst day, she will assimilate the criticism she’s given because she genuinely cares about what her wholesalers and customers want. “Getting feedback and seeing what people think is invaluable to me,” she insists, and she’ll take any comment into consideration to see if it can improve her designs, her business practices or her brand’s global impact. That very willingness to accumulate and weigh out opinions can be exhausting for MacMillan, but it also makes her a more sensitive designer and responsible business person with limitless potential to pivot, expand and redevelop alongside our society’s burgeoning appetite for fashion brands with a conscience. “There’s that saying: if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” she says. “I think I grow every season. I get more refined. I get more ambitious and more creative.” With that attitude, the whole world is her oyster, and we can trust in MacMillan to take good care of it.
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We are the fabricators! NATURAL STONE • ENGINEERED STONE • EXOTIC STONE • FAUCETS • SINKS
BEAUTIFUL MARBLE FOR BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
VISIT OUR SHOWROOM & SLAB GALLERY: 8830 JANE STREET, TORONTO 905.761.5722 INFO@MOSCONEMARBLE.COM MOSCONEMARBLE.COM
TRAVEL SIX SENSES OPENS O N E XC L U S I V E KRABEY ISLAND
Forty private pool villas are set to welcome the first guests to this gem of an island hideaway with dense tropical jungle, and rocky coastline surrounded by azure waters. The landscaped 30-acre private island is located five kilometres from Ream National Park in the Gulf of Thailand in southern Cambodia. From Sihanouk International Airport, it is a 10-minute drive to the resort’s mainland reception for the short 15-minute crossing to Krabey Island. Remote enough yet not cut off from a country offering abundant culture and history. Villas are sumptuous, sustainable and thoughtfully-designed, with green living roofs and maximum use of natural daylight. Each has a sundeck for lounging and alfresco dining with infinity-edged plunge pools and rain showers. The resort includes
two unique restaurants with many ingredients from the 40,000 square foot organic farm and herb garden. The expansive Six Senses Spa, inspired by the sacred Khmer Kbal Spean River, offers a wide range of holistic rejuvenation and beauty treatments. The spa also incorporates a comprehensive gym, rooftop yoga pavilion, indoor aerial yoga studio, Crystal Water Room, Meditation Cave and the Alchemy Bar, for blending natural skin care products and essential oils using pure local ingredients. Sustainability initiatives include the resort’s own water bottling plant with reusable glass bottles, Earth Lab, and the support of school programs in nearby villages as well as the introduction of sustainable practices within local communities. sixsenses.com
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T R AV E L PORTER INTRODUCES TO R O N TO TO M U S KO K A R O U T E Getting to the cottage just got easier, with Porter Airlines flying to Muskoka Airport with summer service. Flights will have an air time of approximately 20 minutes, operating twice weekly on Thursdays and Mondays (Tuesdays on long weekends) between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Muskoka Airport, from June 27 to September 3. Fares start from $139 return. flyporter.com
FOUR SEASONS NAPA VALLEY OPENS THE 8TH FOUR SEASONS H O T E L I N C A L I F O R N I A IS THE VERY FIRST TO INCLUDE AN ON-SITE W I N E R Y A N D V I N E YA R D Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley is taking reservations for stays beginning November 1 for their highly anticipated new hotel in the heart of Napa Valley. With its onsite vineyard, vine-to-table restaurant, wellness spa and farmhouse-style accommodations, it promises to be the perfect base for a wine country getaway. “Late autumn is a wonderful time to visit Napa, just as the ‘crush’ season is coming to a close and winemakers celebrate the harvest and processing of their grapes,” says General Manager Mehdi Eftekari, noting the resort’s concierge teams can arrange winery visits and tasting tours in addition to events taking place at Four Seasons. Designed by Napa’s own Erin Martin and with just 85 accommodations, it promises to be an intimate retreat that invites guests to explore the natural beauty that surrounds it. The resort is also home to an exclusive community of Four Seasons Private Residences. fourseasons.com/napavalley/
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B I L LY B I S H O P V O T E D ONE OF THE MOST SCENIC AIRPORTS Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport again made PrivateFly’s top ten list for Most Scenic Airport Approaches in the world. Billy Bishop ranked eighth among 129 airports worldwide, representing the fifth consecutive year Toronto’s city airport has made the global top ten list. With its location over the Toronto Islands, 2.8 million travellers annually have the unique opportunity to view Toronto’s skyline through the airplane window. PrivateFly’s global list of the top ten Most Scenic Airport Approaches is a result of the thousands of votes cast from around the world to recognize the most breathtaking airport landings. Billy Bishop, the only Canadian airport to be recognized for its scenic approach, was named alongside airports located in some of the world’s most stunning places including Donegal Airport in Ireland, Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport in the South of France, Queenstown Airport in New Zealand and Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten in the Caribbean.
B R I T I S H A I R W AY S U P G R A D E S F I R S T C L A S S First customers on British Airways can now enjoy super-soft, sophisticated loungewear designed exclusively by luxury British fashion brand Temperley London. The loungewear will be coupled with bespoke British Airways amenity bags, featuring Temperley’s “Star” design, filled with products from leading British skincare brand, Elemis. The airline’s chefs have also designed new a la carte menus that focus on fresh seasonal ingredients and will be served on bone china, designed exclusively for the airline by high-end British tableware designer William Edwards. The new tableware will be accompanied by contemporary cutlery from Studio William and Dartington glassware. The airline will also introduce a new signature afternoon tea service, showcasing the great British tradition of high tea. The new First experience is available on select routes from Toronto and Vancouver. britishairways.com
T R AV E L
Photo, Paris Tourist Office / David Lefranc
Trevi Fountain, Rome.
Classical Must-See Cities by J O S E P H I N E M A T YA S
The Louvre, Paris.
I GREW UP in a household with a bit of trickery called “the family vote.” Decades ago, we clustered around a table – four
This bait-and-switch family holiday planted the seeds for a lifelong obsession with travel. The parts of that trip that form a permanent corner
kids and two adults – with a simple choice before
in my memory are the stream of art galleries,
us: build an indoor pool (four young arms shot
museums and architecture. It turned out, after all,
up) or take an extended trip to Europe?
to be a bricks-and-mortar vacation – something
We were outmanoeuvred. Followed by 10 weeks crammed into a Renault station wagon, guided
that would have made my classically-trained, architect Dad smile.
by our bible, a dog-eared copy of Europe On $5 A
Over the years, Europe has often been on my
Day. For our immigrant parents it was a chance to
travel itinerary. This time around it was a return
marinate us in the sensibilities and influences of
to the scene of the crime – winnowed down
European architecture, history, culture and food.
to three classical cities, with a deep dive into
Perhaps their hope was that the Old World manne-
the history, settings and food that make them
risms they’d schooled us in would make sense (fork
unique. Paris, Rome and Venice: Europe redux.
always in the left hand, knife in the right).
Without the crowded back seat.
The dome of Santa Maris della Salute in the distance, Venice. LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
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T R AV E L
Place de la Concorde, Paris.
or me, Paris sits in its own time warp.
F
river. Bookended by the grand Arc de Triomphe
Images are rooted in the 19th century
and the spacious Place de la Concorde, the
– the little newspaper kiosks usually manned
Champs-Elysées is the city’s grand boulevard to
by a stooped gentleman in a soft beret, posters
see and be seen, to shop and to play. The perfect
plastered onto the cylindrical Morris columns,
symmetry of Place des Vosges in the Le Marais
streetside cafés where patrons linger, elegant
district was a pet project of Henri IV – the oldest
fountains and spacious boulevards. Paris has
planned square in the city is a chic place to sit
always been forward thinking, but somehow
and admire the design influences of Northern
manages to seamlessly blend the old and the
Italian arcades and a touch of Flemish archi-
new. Think of its popular nickname – The City
tecture. And, of course, the landmarks of the
of Light – a nod to its 18th-century embrace of
city, the iconic Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, a
the Age of Enlightenment.
priceless treasure trove in the world’s largest art
It is very much a city of neighbourhoods,
46
museum.
one designed for walking. My starting point is
I tapped into the best of the city by wande-
inevitably in front of the medieval Notre-Dame
ring through neighbourhoods, investing time in
Cathedral, where an octagonal brass plate in the
sitting with a coffee and a book, watching the
ground designates “Paris Point Zero.” All else in
world go by. “Look at the beauty, the symmetry
France radiates from this spot.
and the tranquility to the way the city has been
Every part of Paris is a village; each neigh-
laid out,” advised the man at the next table.
bourhood a square in the social fabric of the
“We’re less involved in transactions here than
city. Pious Notre-Dame is on Île de la Cité;
in the experience.”
with its soaring spires and three jewel-like rose
Walking is so integrated into my Parisian
windows, it is one of the continent’s finest
experience. The Passages de Paris, a series of
examples of French Gothic architecture.
glass-roofed galleries with mosaic floors that
When I am feeling whimsical I duck behind
typify the architecture of late 19th-century La
the grand cathedral and cross small bridges to
Belle Époque, are custom made for rainy days.
explore the 17th-century architecture of Île St.
Of the few that remain, they are gracious, airy
Louis, a small oasis in the middle of the Seine
spaces filled with small vendors, tearooms,
and the second of only two natural islands in the
bookshops and decadent chocolatiers.
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
Pont Alexandre III photo courtesy Atout France / Jen Isenmann; The Passages de Paris photo courtesy Paris Tourist Office / David Lefranc; Place de la Concorde photo courtesy Paris Tourist Office / Sarah Sargent
The Passages de Paris, Belle Epoque-style galleries with domed, glass roofs.
Pont Alexandre III, one of the grandest bridges in Paris.
T R AV E L
PARIS
FRANCE C I T Y
O F
L I G H T S
Photo by Paul Zizka
T H E
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T R AV E L
The Colosseum, Rome.
Exploring Rome’s winding, narrow, cobblestone streets is a must.
R
48
ome is an historian’s dream. Even if the
in 609AD was turned into a Christian church,
thought of yesteryear makes your eyes
with an insistence of only one god. The Pope,
glaze over, you cannot help but be intrigued by
the Cardinals and the aristocracy destroyed all
the notion of a city built atop a city, of one set
of pagan Rome.”
of religious beliefs being supplanted by another,
The Pantheon is a perfect example of Rome’s
often by simply removing a statue or figurehead
shape-shifting past. The word Pantheon means
and plunking another in its place. The historical
“all the gods,” and in ancient Rome this was a
complexity of Rome is something I learned by
temple dedicated to the entire pagan religion.
walking its winding alleyways.
With the change to a church, the statues of the
“For a thousand years, this was a little medieval
Roman gods were taken down and replaced with
village,” explained Stuart Harvey, who guides
Christian statues. Otherwise, the original decora-
visitors in Rome, his encyclopaedic knowledge
tions from Roman times have remained intact,
revealing strata of the city, like peeling back the
including the bronze doors, the harmonious
layers of an onion. “The ancient Romans origi-
dome, the monolithic granite columns and the
nally built on the famous hills of Rome but with
marble floors from the time of Emperor Hadrian.
flooding and silt, the remnants of ancient Rome
It is, according to Harvey, “what ancient Rome
are actually 30 to 40-feet below the surface.”
looked like.”
These windows into the ancient world are
Rome’s prominent buildings like St. Peter’s
scattered across the city. At the long and beau-
Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum
tiful Piazza Navona, the buildings and Renais-
and the Roman Forum will always be on every
sance fountains are built atop the archaeological
visitor’s checklist (as they should be). But strolling
remains of an ancient sports stadium that once
the narrow lanes, learning to identify the distinct
held spirited chariot races. At Largo Argentina,
marking of each Pope on buildings, columns and
unearthed bits of Roman columns and steps to
fountains – and therefore being able to know the
a long-destroyed temple mark the exact spot
era of construction – is part of looking for clues of
where Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides
a city below and finding buried treasure.
of March in 44BC. Even the city’s many foun-
In Rome, of course, there is the serious busi-
tains are fed by natural streams of water from the
ness of eating. Small trattorias specialize in multi-
city’s ancient aqueducts.
courses, beginning with platters of traditional
But it’s the Pantheon that really stops Harvey
antipasto, a first course of classic pasta dishes like
in his tracks. “The Pantheon is the most impor-
rigatoni with Pecorino and bacon or gnocchi with
tant building in Rome. It’s a perfectly preserved
Gorgonzola, followed by a meat or fish-based
and intact temple built in 25BC and then rebuilt
course of grilled squid, sea bass, lamb or veal. It’s
in 125AD. It was built as a pagan temple and
the kind of meal that necessitates a bit of walking.
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
The Dome of San Pietro and Ponte Sant’Angelo Bridge over the Tiber River, Rome.
T R AV E L
ROME ITALY T H E
E T E R N A L
C I T Y
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49
T R AV E L
Santa Maria della Salute, Venice.
“V
Shopping along the Grand Canal, Venice.
enice is an open air museum,”
explained Cominotto. “In this one spot in St.
advised
Mark’s Square you can see the evolution of style
walking
guide
Daniela
Cominotto, whose family has called the city home for generations. “The best way to experience Venice is to walk and get lost.”
In the famous (and often overcrowded) square she pointed out high, skinny arches from
The getting lost part is easy. There are 118
the Byzantine era, decorative Venetian Gothic
small islands, separated by about 100 saltwater
arches, and the arched windows and columns
canals, connected by 417 bridges – crossing
of the Renaissance. Above one of the arches
even the smallest bridge is the Venetian version
at St. Mark’s Basilica is a 17th-century mosaic
of island hopping. Bobbing in the canals, are
showing the bones of Saint Mark being smug-
hundreds of gondolas, the slim-hulled water-
gled out of Alexandria to Venice, transported
craft that shuttle tourists around the city.
in a barrel of pork to avoid inspection by the
Stuck in the deep reaches of my memory are snippets of that first family trip to La Sere-
Muslims. Venice instantly became an important religious destination.
nissima (it translates as “most serene”). I
Even the narrowest streets are lined with
don’t remember the crowds although recently
gelato stands, bakeries and cafés, shops selling
Venice has seen its visitorship grow to proble-
colourful Carnival masks and Italian-made
matic levels during peak season – but I have a
leather goods. Venice has a long and noble
very clear memory of delectable gelato. In the
history as a trade city dating back to the days
shoulder season, and by venturing away from
when Persian rugs, luxury silk and spices from
the tourist hotspots, I found tranquility as I got
the Orient were imported via Constantinople
lost in the little neighbourhoods.
– now Istanbul – the capital city of the Roman
With its origins in the Venetian Republic,
Empire before being captured by the Ottomans.
the marshy lagoon city and its Oriental-style
But with the discovery of the Americas in the
skyline are touched by architectural influences
15th century, the Atlantic Ocean became more
spanning timelines from Byzantine to the grand
important than the Mediterranean Sea, drama-
days of the Renaissance. Many of the buildings
tically shifting trade routes.
are built above the canals on massive wooden
Venice was a graceful end to building new
pilings. Rather than a gondola, I opted for the
travel memories. I explored with a guidebook in
vaporetto, the small water bus along the Grand
hand, a useful but poor replacement for my Dad
Canal, the “superhighway” of the system, lined
and his breadth of knowledge, pointing out the
with magnificent palaces built in a time when
curve of an arch or the geometry of a building.
cosmopolitan Venice was a superpower, the
That’s the thing about memories; they add layer
richest trading nation in Europe.
upon layer to understanding and appreciation.
“From the arch and the decoration you can understand the time and the era of a building,”
50
in Venice. Absolutely gorgeous.”
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
And when that light comes on, it finds a resting place in your soul.
Bridge of Sighs, Venice
T R AV E L
VENICE ITALY L A
S E R E N I S S I M A
MORE INFO en.parisinfo.com turismoroma.it visit-venice-italy.com
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
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CHOTTO M AT T E M A K E S CANADIAN DEBUT WITH TORONTO L O C AT I O N
After a much-praised launch in Miami, the team behind Chotto Matte are bringing their unique Nikkei dining experience to Toronto in May. Owner and founder Kurt Zdesar and the NZR Group will “bring the artistic energy of underground Tokyo” to Brookfield Place (161 Bay Street) via luxury bento boxes, signature cocktails, Robata grill counter and sushi bar. “We couldn’t be more pleased to expand our brand into Canada,” says Zdesar. “The city’s unique culture, energy and international community make it a natural fit for Chotto Matte. We are thrilled to elevate Nikkei cuisine in this vibrant city.” Chotto Matte promises a bold taste of Nikkei cuisine, an evolution of Japanese-Peruvian fare with each dish paying on a multitude of colours and flavours. Executive Chef Jordon Sclare will direct the kitchen; his resume includes a stint at the Savoy Hotel with Anton Edellman as well as working alongside Gordon Ramsay at his three Michelin-starred London restaurant. chotto-matte.com
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I N T I M AT E N E W RESTO TEN OPEN Chef Julian Bentivegna’s intimate fine dining concept Ten, is now open at 1132 College Street. The restaurant is focused on a chef’s counter where Bentivegna serves a plantbased, multi-course tasting menu to just ten guests. The evolving menu is based on seasonality and availability. His goal is to “develop a small-scale, sustainable restaurant that will invoke creativity, knowledge and community through food.” At just 24 years old, he’s spent a decade honing his craft, training and apprenticing in France before an invaluable stint at Chicago’s three Michelin-starred Grace. He worked in Toronto at Alo and Momofuku Daisho, hosting a sold-out series of pop-up dinners in preparation to open his own shop. 10restaurant.ca
CALLING ALL BAKERS! Canada’s own baking sweetheart – Anna Olson – launched her own line of kitchen essentials just in time for spring holiday baking. The 48-piece collection comprised of carbon steel baking pans, sheets, molds, mixing bowls, measuring spoons, BPA-free silicone and hardwood accessories, and more will be sold exclusively at Hudson’s Bay. The tools are designed by Olson herself, with professional insight and long-lasting performance at the heart of the collection. “I take great satisfaction in seeing my viewers and readers follow my recipes and feel good about themselves through what they have made with my guidance,” shares Chef Anna Olson. “I value this trust that has been earned over the years, and my followers have shown a keen interest in the tools I use to achieve the best possible results.” Chef Anna Olson is one of the country’s most recognizable chefs, currently hosting Food Network Canada’s Bake with Anna Olson, and sharing her expertise on CTV’s award-winning daytime program, Marilyn.
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
M C E WA N ’ S O P E N AT YO N G E & B L O O R Chef Mark McEwan opened his third gourmet grocery location recently at 1 Bloor Street East. The 17,000 square-foot location at the intersection of Yonge and Bloor Streets occupies the entire concourse level and is set to re-fashion the food retail scene in the neighbourhood with its blend of restaurant and grocery experiences. “We bring our restaurant and catering knowledge into our stores,” says Chef Mark McEwan. “Our chefs make everything in-house from scratch, so why should a grocery store be any different? The shore showcases the best from across the McEwan Group brands (Bymark, ONE, Fabbrica, Diwan, McEwan) alongside exciting new features. McEwan’s Café: Lavazza coffee and organic cold presses juice by Refuel, protein smoothies, house-made pastry or order from the all-day breakfast menu; Fabbrica Pizza: serving signature Pizza Romana; Carving Station & Rotisserie; Sushi Bar; Hot & Cold Table; Salad Bar & Sandwich Station and Dry Aging Room. The carefully curated aisles offer a convenient spot to find specialty ingredients and pantry staples, cheese and deli selection, fresh seafood and produce. mcewangroup.ca
COFFEE, OYSTERS or CHAMPAGNE Recently opened on King Street West, Coffee Oysters Champagne (COC) serves three simple things, done really well. Designed to cater to guests throughout the day, COC is a chic spot to start the day sipping the best fair-trade coffee, and end it shucking oysters and popping Champagne with friends. COC serves single-farm sustainable specialty coffee while also elevating their offerings with a large selection of dressed oysters and the largest Champagne menu in the city. sipshucksip.com
AT T H E C O R N E R H O U S E
ROMANCE
501 Davenport Rd, Toronto flordesalrestaurant.ca info@flordesalrestaurant.ca
OF FINE DINING Modern cuisine influenced by the foods of Southern Europe
/flordesalrestaurant Hugo Saenz, Chef Cristina da Costa, Owner
416.923.2604
REAL ENGLISH MUFFINS RECIPE ON PAGE 58
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A SPRING BRUNCH Canadian cookbook darling and Butter Bakery founder Rosie Daykin shares some of the most deliciously perfect recipes from her newest release, Let Me Feed You. These range from easy to expert, something here will be sure to find its way onto your spring brunch table. excerpted from L E T M E F E E D Y O U : E V E R Y D AY R E C I P E S O F F E R I N G T H E C O M F O R T O F H O M E B Y R O S I E D AY K I N .
B U T T E R ’ S AVO CA D O TOA ST Makes 4 servings 4 thick slices whole grain or sourdough bread Butter 4 medium avocados 1 tsp chili flakes Zest of 1 lemon Salt and pepper 4 radishes, thinly sliced Toast the four slices of bread and lightly butter. I like to give my bread a good toasting so it has a little crunch in contrast to the mushy avocado. Use a large knife to cut an avocado horizontally until it touches the pit. Use the pit as your guide as you cut all around the avocado. Pull the two halves apart by twisting in opposite directions. Use the same large knife to give the pit a little whack, then gently twist and lift it out (be careful here, people; I don’t want anyone ending up in the emergency room). Use a spoon to scoop the avocado from the skin and place it in a small bowl. Repeat with the remaining avocados. Use a fork to mash the avocados, but don’t overdo it, as I think a few chunky bits are nice. Add the chili flakes, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread onto the prepared pieces of toast, then top with the sliced radishes and another sprinkle of salt. LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
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REAL ENGLISH MUFFINS
A L M O N D B LU E B E R RY CA K E
Makes 12
Makes 1 (9-inch cake), about 8 servings
“At Butter, we are famous for our marshmallows. I can’t tell you how many people have asked me over the years, ‘You can make a marshmallow from scratch?’ Which inevitably leads me to respond, ‘Of course. How did you think they were made?’ I find English muffins are a little like marshmallows: a classic item we associate more with grocery-store shelves than we do our own kitchens. But, like the great marshmallow mystery, once you make your first batch of English muffins, you’ll realize you now have one less item to add to your grocery list forevermore.”
“I love the simplicity of this one-layer cake, perfect for when you’re in need of dessert but pressed for time. It comes together in a flash with no frosting required – just a little sprinkle of icing
Butter for mixing bowl and pan 3 cups bread flour 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 package (about 2 1⁄4 teaspoons) instant yeast 1 tsp salt 1 cup water 1⁄4 cup whole milk 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp olive oil 1⁄4 cup cornmeal
Lightly butter a large mixing bowl and set aside. Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Give it a couple of turns to combine. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the water and milk to about 120ºF; if it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast (and you don’t want that on your conscience). Turn the mixer on low and add the warm liquid, beating to combine. Add the egg and olive oil and beat again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes. The dough should be quite soft and a little sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the prepared bowl. Give it a turn and flip it over so that the top of the dough is now lightly buttered. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot on your counter until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cornmeal over it and set aside. Punch the dough down to release any air inside. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk and place in the cornmeal on the cookie sheet. Turn each muffin over once to coat both sides in the cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise again in the warm, draft-free spot until they gain about 50 per cent in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Lightly grease a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet with butter or vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Place several pieces of dough in the skillet and cook until they’re a lovely golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as necessary to avoid burning. Using a paper towel, wipe up any excess cornmeal left in the pan between batches to avoid burning it. (You can also use an electric griddle, which will fit six at a time, but I find the cast-iron or nonstick skillet creates much more even browning on the muffins.) Transfer the muffins to cooling racks lined with paper towel (to help absorb any excess butter or oil) and let cool completely (as hard as it might be to resist!). Using a serrated knife or a fork, split the muffins open. Lightly toast in a toaster or toaster oven, smother with butter and jam, and enjoy! Store, in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic, at room temperature for several days or up to 2 months in your freezer.
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sugar and maybe a scoop of whipped cream. 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1⁄2 tsp baking soda 1⁄2 tsp salt 3⁄4 cup almond meal (ground almonds) 3⁄4 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 cup plain yogurt 1 tsp pure vanilla 1 tbsp orange zest 1 cup fresh blueberries Sprinkle of icing sugar (optional, for serving) Whipped cream (optional, for serving) Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 9-inch circular cake pan. Set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt onto a large piece of parchment paper. Add the almond meal and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the yogurt and vanilla and mix again. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and scrape down the sides. Gently fold in the orange zest and blueberries. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Invert the cake so the top is facing up and place it on a serving plate. Use a small sieve to lightly dust the top of the cake with icing sugar. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, if using. Store, covered, for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FOOD
ST R AW B E R RY R H U B A R B C O M P OT E Makes 1 cup “Just like butter and milk, I consider this compote a staple in my house. It’s so easy to make and even easier to use up. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a slew of breakfast options, like my Great Oat Loaf, yogurt and granola, pancakes, or French toast. I also like to fill my Breakfast Nest Cookies with it, fold a scoop into some whipped cream, or spoon it on top of a slice of pound cake. It’s even great with just a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Then, just like that, it’s time to make another batch.”
3 3 1⁄4 1
cups chopped frozen rhubarb cups frozen strawberries cup granulated sugar tsp lemon zest
Place the fruit and sugar in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine, and keep stirring for a couple of minutes until the sugar starts to melt and the fruit is warming up. Reduce the heat to medium, add the lemon zest, cover, and cook down for 10 to 15 minutes. Check in every 5 minutes or so to give it a good stir and reduce the heat further if necessary to avoid burning the fruit. Uncover and continue to cook down, stirring constantly until the fruit is very thick and mushy (like a very loose jam), about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. TIP I prefer to use frozen fruit as it’s more economical and means you can make this recipe year-round. You can mix up the choice of fruit if this combo isn’t your favorite: peach and raspberry or straight-up blueberry are both delicious options.
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T H E B E ST A N D B A S I C Q U I C H E ( I N V E N T E D BY S O M E WO M A N N A M E D LO R R A I N E )
Makes 1 (9-inch) quiche, 6 to 8 servings 6 1 1 1 4 2 1 3⁄4 1 1 1⁄2
F L A K Y Q U I C H E PA ST RY Makes 1 (9-inch) quiche shell 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 tsp salt 1⁄2 cup butter, chilled and cut in 1-inch cubes 1⁄3 cup ice water 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tbsp water
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it starts to brown. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes in total (if you omit the bacon, just sauté the shallots in 1 table- spoon butter). Transfer to a dinner plate lined with paper towel and pat to remove any excess fat. Spread the bacon and shallots evenly across the bottom of the prepared quiche shell. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and flour. Add the milk, sour cream, parsley, salt, and pepper and whisk again to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the shell. I like to put the quiche pan atop a cookie sheet lined with parchment, as it makes it easier to get the quiche in and out of the oven and catches any spills. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set but the center remains a little wobbly. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow the quiche to cool for at least 1 hour prior to removing from the pan and cutting. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve cold or reheat in a 200ºF oven for about 20 minutes.
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse the machine a couple of times to combine. Add the cubed chilled butter to the bowl and continue to pulse until pea-sized crumbs begin to form. This happens pretty quickly, so keep your eye on it, as you don’t want to over-incorporate the butter into the flour. The pea-sized chunks of butter will release steam when the quiche bakes, creating a lovely flaky pastry. Turn the food processor on and pour the 1⁄3 cup ice water through the feed tube in a steady stream. As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop the machine. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the chilled disk of pastry from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll from the center of the dough out toward the edges, rotating the dough every few strokes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the counter. Lightly dust with more flour as needed to avoid it sticking. Continue to roll until the pastry is about 1/8 inch thick and 11 inches in diameter. Roll a pastry docker over the rolled pastry or use a fork to create random holes across the surface. The steam needs somewhere to escape when a pastry shell is blind-baked to avoid it shrinking in the pan. Carefully fold the pastry in quarters and transfer to a 9-inch quiche pan with a removable bottom. Unfold and press the pastry into place, making sure not to stretch the pastry. Run your rolling pin across the top of the pan to cut a clean edge around the top of the pastry shell. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the pastry shell with the egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes, until the pastry is beginning to turn a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before filling. The unrolled pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months. The baked pastry shell will keep, well wrapped, in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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slices thick-cut bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces shallot, peeled and finely diced recipe Flaky Quiche Pastry, prebaked (recipe below) cup grated Gruyère eggs tbsp all-purpose flour cup milk cup sour cream tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley teaspoon salt tsp pepper
Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home by Rosie Daykin. Copyright © 2019 Rosie Daykin. Photography by Rosie Daykin and Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
FOOD
WHAT MAKES an ICON by M I C H A E L P I N K U S
AS
I SIT IN THE WINE CELLAR of Bion-
a beverage, a consumable product, could
icon wines are about high-quality wines that are
di-Santi in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy,
achieve such status is almost inconceivable.
made in limited quantities, are difficult to get,
the writer beside me swoons as he puts his nose
Our propensity for rating and scoring pretty
and achieve that icon status through years of
into a glass and inhales deeply. He is visibly and
much everything that comes into our collective
quality production and reliability.
genuinely excited by what we are about to try.
consciousness – from music and movies to food
One of the most famous and sought after
Biondi-Santi is an iconic Italian producer
and entertainment – everything is quantified
American examples would be the wines of Scre-
that has raised the bar of quality for Brunello
and dissected within an inch of its life. So, to
aming Eagle, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
di Montalcino wines since their founder first
achieve the status of icon wine – a liquid with
that fetches an average price of $3,000 CDN
called his wines “Brunello” in 1865. Adding to
a following and devotion that no matter what
per bottle on the secondary market, according
that legacy of quality is the following fact: since
the rating or score people will continue to collect
to winesearcher.com. To get this wine directly
the 1888 vintage, they have made their top tier
because it bears a certain label or brand, is truly
from the winery you must be put on a list and
“Riserva” wine a mere 38 times, making it rare and
mind-blowing – there are even cases where wines
the wines are highly and rigidly allocated.
very collectable. This slaps the face of all other
are iconic because of a poor showing, but first
People have been known to be on the waiting
producers of Brunello, who release a “Riserva”
you need to be iconic to start – follow?
list for years without even a nibble of a chance
wine every year, despite (or is that in spite) of
Wines like those from Bordeaux circa 1991
to buy one from the winery – which is why the
vintage conditions. It’s based on these standards
and 1992 are considered “bad” years, yet from
secondary market is your best chance to put
of quality that has elevated Biondi-Santi to icon
an iconic house such as first growth produ-
your hands on one.
status in the world of wine, not just for Italian
cers Haut Brion or Mouton Rothschild they
First growth Bordeaux, the wines of Château
wine but around the globe. Other iconic Italian
would still be collectable and worth something.
Margaux, Château Lafite, Château Haut Brion,
wines include producers like Gaja, Quintarelli
They defy even the bad year to become more
Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Latour
and to some extent certain wines by Antinori,
valuable to keep them. The year 1965 might
are some of the most well-known and sought-after
Ornellaia and Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia) …
be the all-time low for Bordeaux vintages in
wines of Bordeaux based primarily on an 1855
but what does it mean to have this icon status of
modern history, and yet those wines from first
classification system which made these iconic
which I speak?
growth houses are still upwards of $500 a bottle
overnight. The classification touted these wines
An icon is defined by Webster’s as “an object
for collectors; not necessarily for what is in the
the best from the best vineyards, and the system
of uncritical devotion” … the idea that a wine,
bottle but just to have that bottle. But in general,
has not been modified since, so they continue to
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FOOD hold that status. Other iconic Bordeaux wines
SÉGLA 2010
Shafer’s bottles are iconic, usually big and heavy
came about their status honestly, through
BORDEAUX, FRANCE; $69.95, #359810
and can be used as door-stops after all the wine
years of quality production and solid winema-
This is the second wine of second growth house
is gone. That bottle description can also be used
king: Pétrus, Montrose, Baron Pichon, Baron
Rauzan-Ségla; for those looking for Bordeaux
for the wine inside … Shafer’s best-known wine is a
Comtesses, Ducru Beaucaillou and Conseillante
quality but not willing to pay the $100-plus
Cabernet Sauvignon known as Hillside Select and
are all names that enjoy that moniker.
price tag, a bottle this is a great alternative.
is very age-able.
made famous over time and others because
DOMAINE DE VIEUX TÉLÉGRAPHE 2015
LUCE 2015
they achieved rock star status because they are
TÉLÉGRAMME CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
TUSCANY, ITALY; $114.95, #685263
much beloved by famous figures. The most
RHÔNE, FRANCE; $52.95, #292722
While Luce may not be as iconic as some, it
notable here is Louis Roederer’s Cristal, rocke-
Another second wine, but still of top quality;
did bring together two iconic producers from
ting to fame because of rap-star Jay-Z in the
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the most famous
separate regions: Robert Mondavi of California
’90s; but Cristal was not fond of the associa-
regions in France, and Vieux Télégraphe always
and Frescobaldi of Italy. Together they created a
tion and attempted to distance itself from the
delivers a top drop, even with its second wine.
brand that has stood the test of time for collec-
Champagne has their icons as well, some
rap lifestyle. While Cristal was an icon well
tors and wine lovers.
before that, it came into the public consciou-
DOMINUS 2014 NAPANOOK
sness because of its association with Mr. Z,
CALIFORNIA, USA; $119.95, #212357
ORNELLAIA 2015
before that is was beloved by Champagne
Dominus is what happens when a famous Bordeaux
TUSCANY, ITALY; $218.95, #722470
connoisseurs alone. Moët & Chandon’s Dom
producer comes to Napa and opens an iconic winery.
If you have ever heard the term “Super-Tuscan”
Pérignon is another of these iconic bubbles
The original Dominus is a Bordeaux blend and Napa-
this is the wine they are talking about. Wine laws
because of its quality, and of course, the back
nook is their secondary wine that also offers that
in Italy tell you what and where you can grow
story about the monk who first made spar-
know-how and flavour, but at a lower price.
certain grapes, wineries like Ornellaia defied that,
kling wine by accident. To wine lovers and collectors all these
charged higher prices for better wines and forced JOSEPH PHELPS 2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
names mean something. To the casual observer – who thinks spending more than
Phelps’ well-known wine is Insignia, it has been in
MOLLY DOOKER 2016 CARNIVAL
every wine collector’s house I have ever worked in
OF LOVE SHIRAZ
or inventoried. This is the lesser-known wine from
AUSTRALIA; $79.95, #242743
Phelps but still fetches top dollar – proving that
This consistently high-scoring Shiraz has a playful
iconic wines cause a trickle-down effect to the
label and name that make it seem like it should be
rest of the portfolio.
just your average bottle of Shiraz. Nothing could
$25 on a bottle is a waste – they mean practically nothing, nothing more than words on a page, or better yet, words on a label. But truthfully, when it comes to wines it’s about what’s inside the bottle that truly counts.
be further from the truth – highly concentrated
Producers the world over covet that “icon”
RIDGE 2016 GEYSERVILLE
moniker because it means more money and
CALIFORNIA, USA; $74.95, #723072
prestige, greater possibility to get a 100-point
Ridge is an iconic California producer known for
SOLAIA 2015
score, the ability to dictate your price, to be
their Monte Bello wine, but everything else in their
TUSCANY, ITALY; $316.95, #987586
able to sell out moments after the wine goes
portfolio is also pure gold and worth picking up.
A wine that became famous without the name of
and highly sought after.
the producer to get in the way. Made by Antinori
on sale, or to have it pre-sold before it even hits the open market. These are all signs you
SHAFER 2015 ONE POINT FIVE
this wine is now just simply referred to as Solai
have truly made it in the wine making world –
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
and is one of that first group of Super-Tuscans
and very few achieve that status.
CALIFORNIA, USA; $149.95, #45476
we spoke about earlier.
Most truly iconic wines come into the LCBO through the Classics Program (catalogue), a monthly publication that “offers the highest quality in fine wines … from the best producers and regions in the world.” These are wines that don’t need to be tasted by the local press but will sell based on name recognition alone. Below I offer up 10 alternatives, all icon-ish wines that are truly a bargain even based on their high price. I also explain what makes them special in their own right, you’ll start to see a pattern as you read through.
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the laws to change.
CALIFORNIA, USA; $118.95, #189795
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
CRITIQUE
• ARTHUR’S • 1 2 S T. C L A I R A V E N U E E A S T, T O R O N T O
A M E N U S T O C K E D W I T H V I N TAG E C L A S S I C S S E T S T H E S C E N E F O R N O S TA L G I A AT A R T H U R ’ S
A
READ THROUGH the menu at Arthur’s is
almost like a peek back in time. A nod of nostalgia to an era – not too long past – when men in sharp suits stepped out for boozy, three-hour long meetings over martinis, and ladies who lunch climbed out of cars and flung a fur around their shoulders before meeting the gals for wedge salads. Who among us doesn’t like a bit of nostalgia? With that, we conjured up our best Mad Men mindsets and sauntered into the recently opened Arthur’s Restaurant at St. Clair and Yonge. Arthur’s is the latest addition to the portfolio of eateries by Chase Hospitality (The Chase, The Chase Fish & Oyster, Colette Grand Café, Kasa Moto, Planta, Planta Burger, Palm Lane). The restaurant is named after Chase Hospitality president Steven Salm’s late father, Arthur Salm. The premise is a dining experience inspired by Arthur’s favourite dining rituals. The menu is a trip down (someone’s) memory lane to tableside preparations, signature martinis and a New York-style power breakfast, along with other classic, vintage-inspired dishes. The main dining room is a large octagon – The Crystal Dining Room – and is paired with a smaller bar and lounge kitted out in a shade of deep green I remember vividly from the ‘90s. The restaurant makes its home in the Weston Centre, in midtown at 12 St. Clair Avenue East. This neighbourhood is itself experiencing a rebirth, trying to reclaim glory days when it was
home to establishments that hosted some of those aforementioned afternoon-long, martini lunches. Although bordered by some very well-heeled neighbourhoods, the intersection has over the decades become home to more discount shops than fine dining establishments, but it is reasserting itself to its neighbours as a place to be after 5pm. When we visit Arthur’s it’s a full house and buzzing, even on a weeknight. We wait a few minutes for the table to be ready, although not long. The main dining room is large, with an intricately designed ceiling. Seating is a combination of booths dotted with tartan accent pillows, and low slung pale gray leather chairs. The cocktail menu is quite extensive with “Arthur’s Originals” including drinks with names like Rockefeller, Upper East Side and Roaring ‘20s. Unfortunately, these went down more sourly than intended: it was 45 minutes from being seating to the drink order being taken, and another 20 minutes until delivery. We fully embraced the nostalgia of the menu and eagerly waited for a tableside preparation of Caesar Salad. Full disclosure: I occasionally dine at another establishment that offers tableside Caesar, and it’s a garlicky, crisp delight. A bit of an event when the waiter wheels out the cart, creates and serves up freshly dressed salad to the table. Unfortunately, what I wanted to love I simply could not. Servers carry out and plant a folding tray near the table for prep – this is OK, but not
the full experience I was expecting. The salad itself was, again just OK. It was heavy with lemon juice and lacked the quintessential heat of garlic expected from a fresh Caesar Salad. On a high note, very classic Oysters Rockefeller were delightfully prepared. Five to a serving with a perfectly toasty, crisp topping. One of the “plant-based” hot appetizer options, Mushroom Pate, is served in a fairly generous ramekin topped with port wine gelee. Tasty, but only a handful of not quite crisp enough toasts are served alongside. Among the mains the standout is the simplest: filet mignon with sauce au poivre. Succulently tender, and perfectly rare in the centre; garnished with sauce poured at the table. A restaurant staple – crab cake – is served as a main, instead of an appetizer. It’s one large cake, and especially at almost $39, doesn’t stand up to myriad other crab cakes I’ve ordered. One of a handful of “plantbased” options among the entrees, Red & White Lasagna is prepared with an almond béchamel and served with a simple tomato sauce. This has potential, but the dish is not really hot when it arrives at the table, and the sauce seems lacking. For dessert, the New York Cheesecake is delectable. Creamy and rich with flavours of caramel, and a passionfruit sauce – this feels like the culinary nostalgia I was dreaming of.
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EVENTS
LAUGHING OUT LOUD for TRILLIUM HEALTH PARTNERS Emmy Award-winning comedian, Wayne Brady, entertained guests as headliner of the 7th annual Laugh Out Loud (LOL) comedy fundraising gala held at the Toronto Congress Centre recently. With nearly 1,000 guests, the event raised more than $1.1 million for Trillium Health Partners (THP), in support of raising critical funds to address the highest priority needs of the hospital. Guests were also treated to the comedic talent of special guest emcee, actress, and comedian Melissa Peterman. The evening closed out with an After Party hosted by Canadian multimedia personality and award-winning recording artist Maestro Fresh Wes. Proceeds from LOL supported THP’s Diagnostic Imaging program.
Clockwise from top left: Holt Renfrew Square One staff with Wayne Brady; Melissa Peterman and Trillium Health Partners Foundation President and CEO Steve Hoscheit; Elisa Williams, Maestro Fresh Wes, Melissa Peterman and Alex Schroen; Frank Mauirro, Wayne Brady and Rosanne Longo; Dr. Colin and Mrs. Saldanha; Lorenzo D’Andrea, Divisional VP & GM Holt Renfrew Square One and Wayne Brady.
COOKING WITH CAMEO KITCHENS for THE HUMBER RIVER HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Cameo Kitchens & Fine Cabinetry recently hosted a cocktail event in support of the upcoming Humber River Hospital Foundation gala, Moonlight Midway by the River. The main event takes place Thursday, May 9, 2019 with a midway theme. Celebrity Chef Massimo Capra entertained guests, while turning out delectable appetizers.
Clockwise from top left: Humber River Hospital President & CEO Barb Collins, Humber River Hospital Foundation Vice President, Donor Relations Helga Schnider and Chef Massimo Capra; event hosts Marwan and Lori-Anne Rizek, owners of Cameo Kitchens & Fine Cabinetry; guests enjoying the evening; Chef Massimo Capra with Humber River Hospital Orthopeadic Surgeon and 2019 Doctor of Philanthropy award winner Dr. Sebastian Rodriguez-Elizalde.
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CULTURE DOORS OPEN 2019 Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf returns on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 showcasing some of the most architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city. This year celebrates 20 years of Doors Open Toronto. A series of walking tours will highlight the social impact of the Queen Street East and Riverside neighbourhoods, as well as exploring the LGTBQ2S heritage of King Street and engineering advancements that occurred across Toronto. Toronto’s Indigenous past, present and future will be interwoven through the event locations with panels, films and special programming taking place throughout the weekend. A panel discussion at The Bentway will gather established Toronto city-builders to speak of past and ongoing profile development projects and the future of city building in Toronto. More details including a complete list of this year’s buildings, walking tours, talks and programs will be available on May 1 at toronto.ca/ doorsopen Shown: A participant in last year’s Doors Open, the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence. Modelled after a cloud, the building’s facade is covered in geometric windows and panels, designed using the Penrose mathematical pattern in which no angle is the same throughout the building’s entire facade.
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
65
ASHACKLETON MY
Lighten Up (Arizona + New York)
by S H E R R Y S M I T H E R
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
CULTURE
AFTER A NEIGHBOUR shared Amy Shackleton’s video of her
Shackleton – a gravity artist – uses squeeze bottles and
artwork online, it went viral and attracted more than one
gravity to create her unique artwork. Using liquid paint,
Shackleton
million views.
she drips, pours and layers as she rotates the canvas crea-
in her studio.
“In 2011, I created a time-lapse video to document the
ting organic artwork like: Through The Trees (Toronto + Cali-
creation of Terraced City, says Shackleton. “I made the video
fornia), Cornerstone (Toronto + Vancouver) and her recent
to accompany my solo exhibition in Toronto and posted it
triptych, Greenhouse Effect (Colorado + New York) that sold
on YouTube,” she says about one of her early “brushless”
to a UK collector before she completed the piece.
paintings.
Shackleton developed this process over a period of three
The response took the artist by surprise. Her inbox
years; first by dripping paint, and using paint brushes
was flooded. Shackleton appeared on CTV’s Canada AM,
and tape for concrete, architectural elements. As the artist
received requests for interviews from as far as Poland, and
became more experienced directing the flow of paint, her
sold a number of paintings, including the piece featured
technique took another turn.
in the video.
Above:
“It was then I realized with more planning, calculating
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
67
The installation of The Great Canadian LEEDscape.
and layering I could eliminate the use of a paintbrush altogether,” explains Shackleton. “Now, I have more control than ever. My work evolves with each piece I create, and I am still discovering new things.” Shackleton has a love of nature and urban landscapes that is evident work references opposing forces – the technique (control vs. spontaneity) and the subject matter (architecture vs. nature),” says the artist that graduated from Toronto’s York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Through her paintings, Shackleton hopes to encourage people to work with nature rather than against it. “As climate change continues and extreme weather events become more frequent, questions about our future – be they utopian or apocalyptic – are made more urgent.” Her exhibition, Light Show was inspired by natural and artificial light experiences she had during trips to California, New York and Toronto. She featured sunlight, for example, because of its significance in sustainable building projects. The environmentally-focused artist has travelled across Canada to every province and territory; she walked on sea ice in Nunavut and hiked through the mountains, coast to coast, in search of inspiration for her largest painting, a 53-foot-long panorama of Canada called, The Great Canadian LEEDscape. LEED, an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an international rating system that Through The Trees (Toronto + California)
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2019
encourages sustainable buildings. “This painting combines the great Canadian landscape with LEED
Top left photo by Jean-Michel Komarnicki; Shackleton portrait by Andrea Stenson
in the subjects she captures: tall buildings, waterfalls and trees. “My
CULTURE
Above: Greenhouse Effect (Colorado + New York) Left: Strong Roots (Kleinberg)
AGN’s mission to engage the individual/community in inspirational and educational arts experiences.” Amy Shackleton
One of the artist’s proudest achievements is her involvement in a national traveling exhibition she organized in collaboration with the Elaine Fleck Gallery. It marked her first solo show in a public gallery and
certified buildings: those that incorporate green roofs, rain gardens, solar
museum when her paintings were displayed at Evergreen Brick Works
energy, geothermal heating/cooling, or urban agriculture,” she explains.
(Toronto), Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (Bowmanville), THEMU-
Among Shackleton’s goals was to create a dream studio. When she
SEUM (Kitchener) and Maison du développement durable (Montreal).
moved from Toronto to Oshawa, she renovated her 600-square-foot
Shackleton garnered the First Choice Award from the jury for her
garage to create a spacious home studio large enough to house two wall
painting, Strong Roots, when she competed against 41 other Ontario
easels totaling 32-feet of linear space. The slanted 14-foot ceiling on one
artists in McMichael Gallery’s En Plein Air Painting Competition captu-
side allows her to rotate some of her larger works of art, including The
ring Kleinburg’s lush landscape. Strong Roots was on exhibit alongside
Great Canadian LEEDscape.
the other award winners from November 17, 2018 to January 6, 2019,
This year marks the first time Shackleton exhibited her work at The
at the McMichael’s Creative Learning Gallery.
Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair (February at Toronto’s Better Living
Shackleton understands the importance of inspiring school aged chil-
Centre). Paintings ranging from 30-inches by 30-inches to 45-inches
dren, as she’s living her childhood dream of being an artist. She gives
by 60-inches were exhibited. Art enthusiasts and collectors visited her
workshops to students allowing them to try their hand at gravity pain-
booth for an interactive Augmented Reality experience of a painting in
ting, as they create their own artwork with her assistance.
a time-lapse video.
Since her first video went viral back in 2011, art teachers have created
Future exhibits include a solo show at the Art Gallery of Northum-
lessons and workshops inspired by her gravity technique and students
berland (AGN), in Cobourg, Ontario in the summer of 2021, where the
research her for their art projects. Shakleton continues to use social media
artist will exhibit paintings with the subject of climate change across
– Instagram, Twitter and Facebook – to share her work on her gravity
Canada including the Northumberland County area.
technique. Since December 2017, they had more than 15 million views.
“I am honoured my exhibition proposal was accepted for a solo
“Many fans have told me to never stop creating, and I won’t,” she
show,” says Amy. “Utilizing interactive elements and engaging compo-
says. “I have felt an overwhelming surge of love from people all across
nents, my work will present intellectually stimulating visual creations
the globe and I’m so thankful.”
that illustrate real life national challenges, while aligning with the
For more information: amyshackleton.com
LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
69
CULTURE
ON stage by C H R I S C L AY
If you’re into live music, there’s several big-name acts coming to Scotiabank Arena soon. They include the wildly popular ARIANA GRANDE as part of her Sweetener Tour on April 3, Cher with special guests Nile Rodgers and Chic on April 22, Canadian indie rockers Metric with July Talk on April 26, Pink as part of the Beautiful Trauma World Tour on May 13 to 14, Twenty One Pilots on May 28 and 29, legendary band The Who on June 1 and country star Carrie Underwood as part of the Cry Pretty Tour 360 on June 9. Tickets to all of the concerts can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Over at the Budweiser Stage, British pop rock foursome THE 1975 appear on June 3 for a performance. The band enjoyed a great deal of critical praise for its third studio album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, released late last year and also hit number one on the U.K. charts. They plan on releasing their fourth album – Notes on a Conditional Form – later this year. General admission tickets start at $65 and can be purchased through Ticket Monster (ticketmonster.com). When the legendary actor and comedian JOHN CLEESE last appeared at Roy Thomson Hall, his
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The Tony Award-winning-musical Dear Evan Hansen made its Canadian debut at The Royal Alexandra Theatre and continues until June 30.
sold-out performance was a smashing success. If you missed it, Cleese is coming back for another evening of hilarity on May 13. He’s best known for his time with comedy troupe Monty Python, and Cleese has also appeared in scores of films including A Fish Called Wanda. At the upcoming show, Cleese will take a look at the dysfunctional world and share his insightful and hilarious thoughts. Tickets cost $50 to $130 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 416.872.4255. Longtime host of The Tonight Show JAY LENO will surely leave the audience in stitches when he makes a stop at Roy Thomson Hall on April 27. Tickets to see Leno, who belongs to the Television Academy Hall of Fame and is also a past winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, are priced at $49.50 to $199.50 and can be purchased through the box office. Another comedian – PAULA POUNDSTONE – will also make an appearance at Roy Thomson Hall. While she carved out a career for herself by making people laugh, she’s also an author and lecturer. Her most recent book, The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search For Human Happiness, has her trying to uncover the secret to happiness. Tickets to her May 6 show are $59 to $95 and can be purchased through the box office. What’s described as a powerful and profound musical – DEAR EVAN HANSEN – continues at the Royal Alexandra Theatre until June 30. The show, that won six 2017 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score, follows a young man with severe social anxiety who can’t find any common ground with his peers and struggles to make friends. The
run at the Royal Alexandra is the musical’s Canadian premiere. Tickets start at $59 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 416.872.1212. Fans of the prolific American singer and songwriter Carole King won’t want to miss BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, running April 9 to May 5 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. The show follows King’s rise to the top of her profession – she has multiple Grammy Awards and also belongs to both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It features a number of songs she wrote or co-wrote including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “You’ve Got A Friend.” Tickets start at $59 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 416.872.1212. For those who love to laugh, comedic duo STEVE MARTIN AND MARTIN SHORT are coming to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on April 12 and 13 for their show Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t. The two Saturday Night Live alumni are going to look back at their careers and memorable moments with a show that’s described as a mix of stand-up comedy and musical numbers as well as chats with the audience. They’re accompanied on stage by The Steep Canyon Rangers and jazz pianist Jeff Babko. Tickets cost $82.89 to $278.39 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 1.855.872.7669. Comedian ILIZA SHLESINGER makes a stop at the Sony Centre on May 25 as part of her Iliza: Elder Millennial comedy tour. You might have seen her recent Netflix special Elder Millennial – her fourth – or read her book Girl Logic: The Genius and the
Photo courtesy Mirvish Entertainment / Matthew Murphy
ONE COULD ARGUE that MICHELLE OBAMA is as well-known as her trailblazing husband – former President of the United States Barack Obama. Charismatic and popular, Michelle made history as the first African American First Lady of the United States and used her time in that position to advocate about several important issues – including the betterment of women and girls around the world and the importance of Americans living healthy and active lives. She’s also an author, having penned the New York Times’ bestselling memoir Becoming. Michelle has hit the road for an international book tour that includes a stop at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on May 4. She’s expected to speak about seminal moments from both her personal and professional life. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
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Absurdity. Tickets cost $45.89 to $62.89 and can be purchased through the box office. Most people have heard the name DR. RUTH and are quite familiar with the charismatic and diminutive sex therapist. However, before she rose to fame she was just Karola Siegel. The story of her life has been translated to the stage for a run at the Toronto Centre for the Arts from April 30 to May 16. Tickets start at $16.50 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or by calling the box office at 416.250.3708. The Canadian Opera Company is staging a production of Giacomo Puccini’s popular opera LA BOHÈME at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts from April 17 to May 22. The tale of young love in 19th-century Paris stars Angel Blue as Mimi and Atalla Ayan as the young poet Rodolfo. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased by calling 416.363.8231. Legendary American singer CHUBBY CHECKER comes to the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts for a performance on April 18. He’s best known for his massive hit “The Twist,” that had audiences all over the world dancing away. Tickets cost $58 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 905.787.8811. The very funny KEVIN NEALON is coming to the Flato Markham Theatre on April 26 for a night of comedy. Many will know Nealon from his stint on Saturday Night Live, but he’s also appeared in a number of films including The Wedding Singer and Happy Gilmore. Tickets cost $69 to $79 with a special $15 price for youth. To purchase, call the box office at 905.305.7469.
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2019
71
COMMENT
Last week I cleaned to avoid doing work. It’s one of my favourite moves.
JOY for LESS
by A N N E T. D O N A H U E
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LUXE MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 019
More than I care to admit, I find myself opening my laptop, looking at my planner, and then choosing to avoid any and all deadlines until I have only a few hours to panic-write. But this time, I found myself with a longer grace period: a due date moved, and I had a few hours to kill before meeting friends for dinner. Instead of getting a jump start on the avalanche of work due the next day, I channeled Marie Kondo by purging my life of all that did not spark joy. Not that Marie Kondo started it. Growing up, our house was small, so my Mom and Dad taught me to donate and/or get rid of all the toys I didn’t play with and books I didn’t read. Then, when I finally graduated to hoarding clothes, shoes, and everything related, I adhered to the same mandate. If I didn’t love something, it made its way to Value Village or Goodwill. Nothing was meant to be shoved into the far regions of my closet or dresser, especially when somebody else might see it and fall in love. So, you’d think I would have learned to shop less; that after weeks and months and years of hauling bags of once-prized possessions into donation bins, I’d be choosier about what I bought going forward. But that isn’t the case. Without fail I invest in pieces and trends I don’t necessarily feel anything for in hopes that I’ll build a life made up of everything I am supposed to want. This sparked a cycle: buy what I felt nothing for, shove all of the aforementioned into the back of my closet after wearing it once, and then donate it all within a year, while vowing to learn from my mistakes. I mean, I am learning, but slowly. I am beginning to understand that my favourite clothes are the ones I feel powerful in, but I have slowly replaced my commitment to shopping for brand new clothes with afternoons at antique markets and vintage stores, picking up décor and dishes I don’t necessarily need. And it gets even worse when springtime hits. Because after all, spring is a season of rebirth and new beginnings. So, year after year I take it as a cue to reinvent myself (or my space). Each year, this is the year, I think to myself. And then I go overboard, building a wardrobe and backdrop for a mindset
and personality that consists entirely of the history of someone else. But the thing is, there’s something exciting about that. And there’s something especially exciting about adopting a “new season, new me” persona that insists you make space for pieces that are bold and eccentric by purging your closet of anything stuck in the past. Namely, your past (Particularly from the summer of 2016 when I deeply committed to wearing belly tops almost every day, despite not liking them all that much). Because ultimately, rebuilding one’s self through somebody else’s jettisoned goods feels like two acts of power. The first? Taking aesthetic risks that you believe in and are psyched about. The second? Making the choice to buy something that’s been previously loved instead of subscribing to fast fashion for the sake of staying trendy. Which is something to think about, particularly since thrift stores have reported being buried under donations in the wake of Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up. And I’ll admit it: in my countless afternoons of getting rid of as much as I possibly could, I’ve certainly not been mindful to make sure I’m thoughtfully donating or even thinking about where something might work best. Instead, I’ve thrown what I used to love in the general direction of a container and treated the process of donation like a challenge to see how much I could squish into a small bag. I don’t take time to “honour” what I’ve accumulated and am giving away and I certainly don’t think about whether anybody else would want it. My process has morphed into one that’s inherently one-sided; an activity in seeing how quickly I can vacate my belongings and create new spaces to refill. Last week, after my fourth trip to the car with bags full of my old dresses, shoes, and everything else that needed to move on, I reminded myself to look at what I was giving away and pause to appreciate that at one point, these things mattered to me and held significance and weren’t being discarded carelessly or without intention. Then, I thought about the future: about the person I’m going to be as the weather warms up and I dive into vintage stores and antique sales and select the pieces that may last me a lifetime, or merely a season. Which, admittedly, is a thought that also sparked joy.
Make your Easter Brunch reser vations woodingtonlake.com
ACCLAIMED CHEF KENNETH JOHNSON Woodington Lake’s new management is proud to announce Chef Kenneth Johnson will launch our new fine dining service with Easter Brunch. Chef Johnson brings 25 years of culinary experience, including work at three Michelin Star restaurants. He is also a three-time champion of Chopped and received a GQ Magazine Golden Dish Award for a Top Ten Dish of the World.
TWO SPECTACULAR 18-HOLE COURSES Visit our picturesque, tree-lined courses, nestled around Woodington Lake just 35 minutes north of Toronto.
PROUD HOST OF THE ONTARIO OPEN The storied Ontario Open Championship will make its highly anticipated return in 2019 at Woodington Lake Golf Club. Dating back to 1923, this year’s tournament will also launch the inaugural Golf Ontario Disabilities Championship.
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2019-02-26 7:57 AM