If you’ve ever wished that you could shop local and support your favourite Canadian brands, all under one roof, this is your chance! The bi-annual pop-up event, INLAND, is back for its 10th year, this time, at Toronto’s Eaton Centre!
INLAND’s spring 2024 pop-up will take place at CF Toronto Eaton Centre from May 9th to 12th, on the mall’s third-floor luxury level, next to Sephora. Over 40 of Canada’s most celebrated fashion designers and creators will be available to shop!
Since launching in 2014, INLAND has showcased over 500 Canadian brands and makers from across the country, encouraging shoppers to explore and shop local talent.
The vendor line-up will showcase women’s and men’s apparel, swimwear, jewellery, footwear, bags, and more, showcasing some of Canada’s most visionary brands.
“It’s a great time for fashion and retail because we are all in a “rethink” frame of mind, taking a closer look at what we buy and why we buy it. This is why I’m thrilled to be marking our 10th anniversary at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, bringing local design to one of Canada’s busiest shopping destinations. The intent is to disrupt what shoppers typically experience at the mall and hopefully encourage new thinking about both style and consumption,” says Sarah Power, founder and director, INLAND.
INLAND is also partnering with Fashion at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), allowing TMU students to showcase their collections alongside esteemed brands.
INLAND Pop-Up Hours & Location:
Where: CF Toronto Eaton Centre, 3rd Floor, Beside Sephora.
When: Thursday, May 9 from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday, May 10 from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, May 12 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
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Shopping local has never been more important supporting local designers is just as critically important.
This Spring, it’s time to get your rear in gear because Canada’s BIGGEST local shopping event, INLAND coming back and it’s better than ever.
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Not only is INLAND basically one big shopping party and 2019 is its 10th anniversary and that’s something to celebrate especially with retail not having the best go around these days. There are over 70 local brands to shop, including Hilary MacMillan, atelier b, and Zoran Dobric to name a few. A full list of participating designers is set to become available in the coming weeks.
This fun, fashion pop-up is all about bringing people together to shop directly from independent designers and makers from across the country, all while supporting the Canadian economy—how beautiful is that?
Everything from these designers is also primarily made in Canada (!!!) and are all done using ethical and sustainable practices so you can feel extra good about supporting these local designers.
Courtesy of INLAND
Fast fashion is always going to be popular and on the rise but investing in local talents and designers gives them much needed support. In return, it gives us (the consumers) items of quality that won’t fall apart after one wear or wash cycle.
Get ready to shop INLAND on May 3-4 at QRC West / E1 Building at 134 Peter Street. Admission is completely free so bring the whole family for a day of all sorts of shopping fun!
Featured Image: Courtesy of INLAND
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If 2017 proved anything, it’s that pop-up shops in Toronto aren’t just a trend – they’re here to stay.
From Queen Street to Ossington to Yorkville and Leslieville, it seems pop-up shops sprung up everywhere in Toronto this year. Once reserved for warehouses, pop-ups have gone on to occupy street fronts, corners within existing stores and, most notably in the past year, even prime mall space, allowing limited time engagements for brands to sell their products.
And it’s a retail strategy that’s been working! Here are some of Toronto’s best pop-up shops of 2017.
IKEA Play Café
In June, the IKEA Play Café came to Toronto where shoppers and IKEA-lovers alike could sample the company’s famous meatballs, play games and shop a limited selection of the brand’s kitchen products.
Gordon Ramsay’s Cobalt Social
The grocery store in front of Cobalt Social
2017 wasn’t just about retail pop-ups; pop-up restaurants became prevalent as well. Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay partnered with American Express to open Cobalt Social, an exclusive restaurant hidden behind a grocery store shelves in Toronto’s Kensington Market.
Glossier
Cult beauty brand Glossier opened a pop-up in Toronto this past fall, giving shoppers the chance to finally shop the beloved beauty products in person and even meet founder and CEO Emily Weiss. The pop-up also hosted special in-store events, including a free screening of Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, with complimentary Prosecco and popcorn.
Everlane at Nordstrom
Everlane joining forces with Nordstrom in September for a six-week pop-up shop — or as Nordstrom likes to call them, pop-in shops. Vancouver and Toronto got the chance to experience Everlane’s ethically-made denim line, as well as the brand’s must-have cashmere pieces and footwear styles.
Sunwing
Sunwing popped up on Queen Street West for Black Friday this year for guests to enjoy vacation deals and learn about different destination hotspots. The pop-up shop featured a vending machine with special gifts, travel vouchers and free vacations.
INDULGE at Yorkdale
Yorkdale introduced shoppers to its rotating food pop-up this past year called the INDULGE shop. The space features multiple grab-and-go counter-style presentation from some of Toronto’s food favourites such as Uncle Tetsu, Eva’s Original Chimneys and Pie Squared.
Starboy from The Weeknd
For the second time in Toronto, The Weeknd’s opened a temporary store for his fans this past spring. The pop-up appeared inside Nomad on Queen Street West for one weekend only to showcase what’s essentially concert merch without the concert.
Toronto Urban Collective
Popping up for its third year in a row this past summer was Toronto Urban Collective. The unique market brings together the city’s finest artists, designers, craft-makers and photographers along with a great line-up of food, drinks and music.
goop at Nordstrom
Nordstrom partnered with Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop lifestyle brand for an in-store pop-up shop back in May. This marked goop’s first partnership with a major retailer and was the first time the lifestyle brand had a physical presence in multiple retail markets at once. This was one of the only chances Canadians had to shop goop products as the California-based site doesn’t ship to Canada.
INLAND
Dubbed one of the best Canadian fashion pop-up shops in the city, INLAND pops up each spring to offer shoppers over 70 fashion, apparel and accessory brands for women and men in a 2-day, market style event.
House of Vans
Image: Instagram/@vanscanada
Returning for its second year in a row this past March, House of Vans popped-up in Toronto’s Queen West area. The action-packed four-day event including a live performance from Mac DeMarco, a market showcasing local Toronto creatives, an art exhibit and a full-size replica of iconic San Francisco skate spot Pier 7.
Sleepover
Sleepover is from the people behind thisopenspace and was a pop-up event celebrating everything you love about sleep. Running from October through December, the store featured over 35 brands that outfit your goodnight and good morning.
CONCEPT
Not an actual pop-up shop, but rather a pop-up facilitator, Yorkdale’s CONCEPT opened its doors this past spring to offer a 3,600-square foot space designed specifically for rotating pop-ups. Such a storefront allows local, smaller brands the opportunity to connect with a larger audience. Some brands featured at CONCEPT in 2017 included Peace Collective, Mary Young, Hayley Elsaesser, inkbox and more.
Did we miss any pop-up shops opened in Toronto in 2017? Let us know in the comments!
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While we hear the word “sustainability” used a lot in the fashion industry, it’s one thing to preach a set of values, and another to embody it. It’s this disruptive mentality that led Calgary-based designer, Aleem Arif to create his sustainable line of leather jackets Bano eeMee.
Arif says, “If you asked my old self if I’d ever be a fashion designer, I’d say no,” but it’s perhaps his atypical pathway into designing that led him to foster something different. After having a career in finance in New York, Arif decided that he wanted to do something real.
“I’m originally Pakistani but grew up in Canada and I wanted to connect both aspects of who I am and what makes my DNA, as well as make a difference.” It was around this time that the fledgling designer travelled to Pakistan for six months to learn the art of leather making.
Arif says he’s not necessarily against fast fashion, but doesn’t appreciate the waste it creates and how the buyer has no connection to the person who made the garment. “I wanted to break that cycle.”
Bano eeMee Designer, Aleem Arif
It was when he met a collective of artisans in Pakistan that the idea of the brand Bano eeMee was conceived. “These were all artisans who had years of experience, but no stable jobs or fair wages, and so I thought I’ll work with them and create pieces they can work on that I can sell back here in Canada.”
Along with employing passionate artisans, Arif also only uses lamb leather sourced from individuals who farm for their livelihood. This way he can achieve the highest quality of leather, with the least amount of harm to the animal.“The animal is used for the meat; the leather is the byproduct, and that’s what I buy,” Arif says.
The brand strongly resonates with those who care about what they put on, but also care about what they represent; socially conscious fashion. “I want my jackets to be a part of that story because fashion is the first skin — the first impression is made based on what we wear.”
We all want to look and feel good in our clothing, especially when it’s something we wear often like a leather jacket. Arif designs with this in mind — his pieces have a timeless quality, and are made with the purpose to be cherished and passed down from a mother to a daughter, for example.
This seasons collection embodies that ethos, while still remaining creative and playful. It feels free-spirited and has an airy, bohemian look — distressing and perforation can be seen throughout. The colour story has fun swatches like Strawberry Milkshake and Buttercream, and a montage of honey bees on every jacket lining.
Arif shares that he designs all the graphics for the jacket linings himself and chooses a different socially conscious or sustainable theme each season. “The honey bees are meant to talk about our environment through our clothing in a subtle way,” says Arif. It’s fashion that’s meant to start a conversation.
Dying to get your hands on a Bano eeMee leather jacket? The upcoming Spring ’18 men and women’s collection, and the current season’s collection can be seen at INLAND (the largest retail gathering of premium Canadian-made fashion and direct to consumer sustainable fashion). Make sure to check out Bano eeMee along with 69 other unique, Canadian brands on September 29 and 30.
Learn more about Bano eeMee here.
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If you’re looking for the best in Canadian fashion, you need to check this event out.
INLAND will be returning to the QRC West building in Toronto from September 29 and 30 to showcase a specially curated line up of fashion, apparel and accessories. For its sixth edition, the shopping event will feature over 70 Canadian designers hailing from Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax.
The best part yet is that there is no admission to enter, and you can browse new and favourite labels for free, in addition to meeting the designers behind some of the most prominent labels in Canadian fashion right now. Shop and peruse fresh off the runway collections from House of Suri, Hilary Macmillan, Rachel Sin, Pedram Karimi, and many more.
What: INLAND
When: September 29 (3pm to 10pm) and September 30 (11am to 7pm)
Where: QRC West (134 Peter St.)
Get full details about INLAND here.
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If you love Canadian designers and shopping local, you may be interested in one of the best Canadian fashion pop-up shops around.
Check out the INLAND Spring pop-up shop and shop from over 70 fashion, apparel and accessory brands for women and men at this fantastic 2-day, boutique style pop-up.
Although there is plenty of shopping to be done, INLAND is more than a shopping event, it’s a celebration of culture, design and lifestyle in Canada – curated into a comprehensive retail experience. With a mix of upcoming and established brands, INLAND is a community of everyday people who appreciate amazing design.
The INLAND Pop-Up is a proud supporter of Made in Canada – over 95% of all collections at INLAND have been hand-made or manufactured locally. Discover the stories behind the brands as you connect face-to-face with each designer.
Friday, May 5th, 3 pm – 11 pm
Saturday, May 6th 11 am – 7 pm
See the designer line-up: madeinland.ca/spring2017
Half price drinks: Friday, 4-7pm in the Attico lounge
10% off dine-in at Ricarda’s w/proof of purchase at INLAND
Here are some of our favourite looks that will be available at the sale.
Amanda Maria Wide leg romper $265
Andrew Coimbra Opelle X Andrew Coimbra “Kanye”/Roses Backpack $690
Emily Valentine Gold Double Stone Hoop earrings $88
byINABE Essential Mini Bucket Bag in Salt and Pepper $160
Blanc De Noir Lampa Hi-Top $395
CassBurr Designs Oversized Blazer- Tencel $195
Dolorous jewelry designs Cleo Draped Choker Body Chain $192
“April showers bring May flowers,” so they say. While we’re still waiting on those flowers (and Spring in general) don’t let the rain dampen your spirits. Grab an umbrella and get out because there are a slew of awesome events happening in the city this month to occupy your time. Before you know it, the grey skies will be gone and you’ll be hanging out with your friends in the sun. Take a look a the top 10 things to do this May in Toronto and the GTA below:
The Halal Guys Toronto Grand Opening (May 5)
You may have heard that The Halal Guys are coming to Toronto! The grand opening is happening this Friday, May 5, and to celebrate the fast-casual eatery is giving the first 500 guests a chance to spin a wheel and win prizes including merch and discount vouchers. Better yet, sign up for their loyalty program and be entered to win one of five 1-month free food vouchers to the Toronto location.
Image: Instagram/@thehalalguys
INLAND Spring Pop-Up (May 5 – 6)
Here at StyleDemocracy we like to keep you informed on the best shopping in the city and what we like even more is supporting home-grown brands! Head out to the INLAND Spring Pop-Up on May 5 and 6 to shop over 70 Canadian fashion, apparel and accessory brands for both men and women. See the designer lineup here.
Cincofest 2017 (May 6)
Cinco de Mayo may be on the 5th, but Cincofest doesn’t want the fiesta to stop there! Join them in a barhop to Baro and El Caballito on May 6 where the tequila will be flowing and the music will be going. $25 tickets include two drinks and some awesome swag. The fiesta is over when we say it’s over!
Image: Instagram/@elcaballito
Mother’s Day Chocolate Tour (May 13)
Does your mom love chocolate? Then you’re looking at the best Mother’s Day gift you could offer! Go on and show your mom how “sweet” you can be and take her on the Mother’s Day Chocolate Tour by Tasty Tours. Tickets are $39 and include sampling of chocolate and goodies at six unique food stores, chocolate making demos and more.
Rib and Craft Beer Fest (May 18)
Rib and Craft Beer Fest is taking over Yonge-Dundas Square on May 18. Come with friends and come hungry – it’s BBQ Month after all! Along with the ribs and craft beer, bite into treats like funnel cakes and ice cream, savoury snacks like poutine and burgers, plus so much more. Not to mention, there will be a tonne of live entertainment too, so take a break when you’re feeling full, digest and then go back for round two (or three, or four).
Image: Instagram/@northernheattribseries
Toronto Foam Festival 2017 (May 21)
The Victoria Day long weekend is about to get sudsy! Join Orchid Entertainment Venue on May 21 for the wildest party of the year, Toronto Foam Festival 2017. The foam alone makes this party awesome – add in lasers, the hottest Top 40, dance hall, house and mashups, and you get a gathering that sounds epic. Grab tickets starting at $15 here.
Electric Island (May 22)
If foam parties aren’t your thing, but you feel like dancing your a** off head out to the Toronto Islands on May 22 for the first series of Electric Island. Taking place at Hanlan’s point, share your time between two stages and kicking back with your friends in the sun. To see the full lineup of DJs this year and to grab tickets, head here and here.
Image: Instagram/@electricislandto
Chance the Rapper (May 24)
There’s a whole slew of notable artists coming to Toronto this month, Chance the Rapper being one of them! Catch him on that Budweiser stage on May 24, rain or shine. Regular tickets are sold out but don’t fret, there are a tonne of resale tickets available if you’re willing to pay slightly more.
The Weeknd – Starboy (May 26)
No one can deny that The Weeknd had a killer year! If your one of his many fans you’ll be excited to hear that the Starboy is playing in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on May 26. Same deal as with Chance the Rapper, regular tickets are sold out but you can still scoop up resale tickets here.
Image: Instagram/@theweeknd
Lift Cannabis Expo (May 27)
With weed legalization fast approaching, it’s no secret that the marijuana industry is a growing market. So if you’re a fan of the green stuff or just plain curious, you should definitely check out the Lift Cannabis Expo on May 27. Nearly 200 leading exhibitors from around the globe will be gathering together making this Canada’s biggest cannabis trade show. Grab tickets starting at $30 – it’s bound to be interesting!
Did we miss any of the top things to do this month in Toronto and the GTA?
Featured Image: Instagram/@theweeknd
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