TrendWarriors

For me, there is always a surprise in Toronto. Whether it is an unexplored street, a great nightclub, a unique shop or a new restaurant, Toronto is a city-lovers town. People are friendly, climate is temperate, and there is always something new to do. For these reasons and more, my long-time friend John Netland (artist, designer and gardener extraordinaire) moved here from the States and never looked back. He found just the right culture in Toronto to exercise his creative energy.

Having been stranded at the airport due to unpredictable winter weather, John invited me to stay at his home for the evening (hurray!) Armed with umbrellas to repel the elements, we went on a tour of his current locale: Kensington Market.

The chill and mist did not dampen the spirits of the shopkeepers in this little bohemian enclave. Cheerful greetings welcomed us everywhere we stopped. Arts, crafts, fashion, home décor, sidewalk groceries, specialty shops and cafes…how I wish every city had a Kensington Market! What I thought was really great about nearly every shop was that the proprietors are all working to support local crafts people.

Here were a few of my favorite boutiques:

Bungalow featured mid-century modern furniture and deco items—including brown dial-up telephones! Chic thrift store clothing and the most amazing selection of leather jackets I’ve ever seen made this place really special.

I wandered forever in the newly opened Blue Banana. This artists market features the work of local crafts people, although there were stalls featuring hand-made products from Asia and Africa. One of a kind gifts, paintings, pottery, clocks, cards and paper, jewelry, fashion accessories were all on display.

John’s good friend Cora opened a business called Miss Cora’s Kitchen. In this funky shop she runs a bakery, café and catering service. Her treats at the counter were delectable!

I met Natalie, the owner of Heart on Your Sleeve. Her shop features recycled clothing and accessories crafted by local designers. Her mantra is Made in Canada, cruelty free, sweatshop free, and organic. There were the most amazing women’s long underwear for winters in snowy country… You would never find another pair like them! Really ingenious. I couldn’t decide between them and a scarf by fiber artist Tanya Hagen. In the end and after much internal turmoil, I went for the scarf. The practical side of me won out and I needed something to help brace me for the chilly weather. I’m still wearing it as I type this blog!

Standing out on the rainy sidewalk, I wasn’t sure from the storefront what kind of place Kid Icarus was… When I entered, I realized I was standing in a tiny print shop. A newly silk-screened 2008 calendar hung on the wall, each month featuring the design of a different local graphic artist. The owners of the shop told me the artists had been commissioned to use only two colors in their work. They were surprised so many had opted not to use BLACK as one of the colors, and the combos they came up with were very striking with their greens and teal blues. Small press print work, hand-made cards, journals, t-shirts, and silk-screened gift boxes made for some very original products in this store.

Right around the corner were Asian surplus stores. There were endless choices in Chinese tea sets or graceful Japanese serving dishes. The price was right for small bamboo steamers or restaurant sized woks. Baskets from Borneo and silks from Thailand…the shopping was fun in little China. I’ll be back one day…with a bigger suitcase!

The FinnStyle store in Minneapolis used to be located in the Warehouse District right around the corner from the Colwell headquarters. Before it moved to its new, high traffic location in Gavidae Commons (about a five block walk downtown) I used to stop by the store during lunch hour looking for gifts.

Everything in FinnStyle is enticing: the sculpted Artek furniture, sparkling displays of ittala glass, the sturdiness of Hackman cookware, the unique personalities of the Toikka birds. I always drift to the soft good section. Home products and fashion accessories are featured in the abundantly colorful Marimekko textiles. Though I am bewitched by the saturated hues, the riot of color never seemed appropriate for my house with its calm, subdued palette. I was never infatuated enough to buy anything except some paper napkins or gift stationery.

One day my neighbor Betty went to FinnStyle looking for a colorful table cloth. They didn’t have quite what she had in mind. The store directed her to a seamstress who custom made soft goods for the store using Marimekko fabrics. Betty set up an appointment and went to the woman’s studio in Bay City, WI. She came back with a vibrant orange table cloth, custom made to fit her dining room table. Not only that, but Betty raved about the owner of the shop, the architecture of her studio and the idyllic beauty of the surrounding area. She described a modernist retreat set in the heart of Wisconsin farmland. I was intrigued.

Last weekend was the seamstress’s annual holiday sale. The first snowstorm of the season hit the midwest. When Betty, her daughter and I trekked over to Wisconsin, we were greeted with silent gray forests and dunes of snow covering the fields. It was hard to believe we were traveling to an oasis of color!

Margaret has a lovely contemporary studio built by the acclaimed architect David Salmela. The name of her business is Banbury Cross. It is the perfect showcase for Marimekko fabrics, and also a comfortable atmosphere to browse and dream. Tall ceilings, hardwood floors, and expansive windows take in the views of Lake Pepin and the surrounding woods and fields. White walls provide a clean backdrop for the incredible depth of Marimekko colors. The variety of products Margaret makes is astounding, and her craftsmanship is perfection.

Two hours passed in what seemed like 30 minutes. Betty and I wistfully combed through tote bags, pillow cases, napkins, and table cloths. We oogled over small clasp purses and cosmetic bags. Betty bought Christmas gifts I dreamed about what would work best for the bedroom closet doors. We found it difficult to decide and even more difficult to leave!

I asked Margaret if a particular color of cloth was selling best for her these days. She said her customers very often are drawn to the rich blues in the Marimekko line: dark indigo, brilliant sapphire, lustrous azul.

She said people often travel great distances to her studio at Banbury Cross, just to feast their eyes on the color.

We return again to the adage: Color sells.