Yorkdale Opens Cool Innovative Retail Space “CONCEPT”

As one of Canada’s premier shopping destinations, Yorkdale has just recently launched a permanent space that will give innovative brands an anchor position in the shopping centre.
Yorkdale Opens Cool Innovative Retail Space
Yorkdale's CONCEPT Space (Image: Grayson Miller for StyleDemocracy)

As one of Canada’s premier shopping destinations, Yorkdale has just recently launched a permanent space that will give innovative brands an anchor position in the shopping centre.

Dubbed “CONCEPT” the new space will be home to some of Toronto’s top home-grown talent starting on May 18th, 2017. 

Shoppers that wish to explore the best that local Toronto retailers have to offer have an opportunity to shop fashion and food and experience some of downtown Toronto’s most interesting and socially conscious entrepreneurs.

The new CONCEPT space is an ambitious effort brought to you by Yorkdale. The space will be used to allow innovative brands the opportunity to showcase new product lines, innovative design approaches and capsule collections in an environment other than their own retail footprint. This will give smaller brands access to a larger shopping market and will give established bigger brands the opportunity to experiment with product and concepts without disrupting their traditional retail model.

When the new space opens to the public on May 18th, Yorkdale shoppers will have the opportunity to shop the best from Peace Collective, Bather, MARY YOUNG, HAYLEY ELSAESSER, HEIRKid, inkbox temporary tattoos along with Peace Collective’s Peace Treats milkshakes andLola’s Cloud organic gourmet cotton candy – all in one place.

The entrepreneurs behind these newest CONCEPT brands share a common goal of raising awareness and funds for causes connected to their businesses.

The newest CONCEPT retailers include:

 

Peace Collective + Peace TreatsShoppers will recognize this brand for their “Toronto Vs. Everybody” gear. This lifestyle brand will be selling Peace Collective clothing including the new Blue Jays line at Yorkdale, alongside their gourmet milkshakes – Peace Treats, the Peace Collective’s signature treat bar. These treats are lighting up Instagram, and it’s a stop shoppers won’t want to miss.  Every garment sold provides two healthy meals to a Canadian child in need through its Peace Foundation.

 

MARY YOUNGThe lifestyle lingerie and loungewear brand is ethically produced in Montreal, Quebec with garments designed to embrace the natural woman’s shape and empower the wearer to feel comfortable and confident. MARY YOUNG is donating $3 dollars from every item sold at CONCEPT to Raw Beauty Talks, a non-profit society promoting the mental and physical health of girls and young women by increasing their self-confidence and cultivating positive body image.

 

Bather – This Toronto-based streetwear-inspired beachwear for men is the perfect stop for shoppers looking to reinvigorate their summer wardrobes. Their fashions are designed for men to look and feel their best, on or off the beach. The brand will release a range of exclusive pieces at CONCEPT. Bather works with various charities including 1% for the Planet which aims to clean and protect the world’s oceans and the Jays Care Foundation.

 

inkbox The Toronto-based brand behind the world’s first 2-week tattoo gives shoppers the chance to get the look & feel of traditional tattoos without the commitment using 100% organic ink. There will be up to 100 of their top designs and signature freehand ink giving shoppers many different options. Tattoos can be applied by an inkbox expert or at home with the standard inkbox kit. A percentage of every sale goes to the Darién Initiative in Darién Gap, Panama which is home to the fruit source of the ink and ensures sustainability in harvesting the fruit while giving back to the Darién community.

HAYLEY ELSAESSER–  Beloved Toronto designer Hayley Elsaesser is recognized around the world for her colourful, pop-art inspired prints. Since launching in Australia in 2013, Hayley’s fashions have appeared on runways at Sydney, Melbourne, Toronto and New York fashion weeks, and have been worn by celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Kat Von D. Her Yorkdale capsule features pieces from her spring/summer 2017 collection, inspired by the ‘90s version of Romeo & Juliet, as well as new unisex streetwear and accessories in her trademark prints.

HEIRKidThis brand is designed with the modern and fashion-conscious parent in mind. As the love child of Get Fresh Company Toronto (G.F.C), owners William Nguyen and Jebril Jalloh, created a brand that would help fashionable parents, dress their children in elevated essentials and vibrant showpieces. Each garment has a fresh take on fit, feel and details with pieces designed, milled and manufactured locally.

Lola’s CloudCONCEPT shoppers will get a taste of organic cotton candy with Lola’s Could’s freshly spun floss in a variety of unique flavours. This Toronto-based company uses organic cane sugar and natural extracts to create heavenly clouds of delight, free of synthetic dyes and sucrose. They’re creating an exclusive Yorkdale flavour, featuring lemon and lavender with hints of edible gold. A Canada 150 maple flavour will also be available to celebrate the sesquicentennial. Shoppers can also expect to see some intriguing flavours popping out of this vendor’s booth – with cotton candy flavours such as mimosa, hot peppers and dill pickle.

 

The CONCEPT space is great for local brands and innovative brands alike as Hayley Elsaesser tells us “It’s incredibly important otherwise it would take many years to build up to a store in Yorkdale, the fact that they are speeding up the process and putting our brand in front of the customers you only dream of seeing every day. It’s a great way to showcase Canadian brands which aren’t as represented in the mall. It really puts the focus on the people that deserve it.”

Check out the New CONCEPT Space at Yorkdale and take a look at the map below for location details: