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Design world gathers in Toronto, touring exhibit honours WWI​
on the scene

The Interior Design Show celebrates its 20th edition in Toronto, while an exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of end of the First World War

NOLAN BRYANT
Special to The Globe and Mail

This article was published more than 6 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

"Future Fantastic" IDS opening-night preview and party, Toronto

Before the 20th-anniversary instalment of the Interior Design Show Toronto (IDS) opened to the public late last month, design buffs and big names from the world of interior design gathered for the sold-out opening-night party and preview, this year called Future Fantastic. Since its inception in 1999, IDS has grown to become North America's largest design fair and, once again, on Jan. 18, it took over the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for a four-day show-and-tell of the latest and greatest in design.

Familiar names including Brian Gluckstein, Tommy Smythe and Karim Rashid were among the weekend's headline speakers, and George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg of design firm Yabu Pushelberg were this year's international guests of honour. The famed pair took part in The Globe and Mail Saturday speaker series. On opening night, though, it was Toronto-based performers Harrison and Raffa Weyman (known as RALPH), who were on stage and in focus at the party, which welcomed nearly 6,000 guests.

Kathryn Ireland, Jay Osgerby, Michael Ford and Alex Mustonen.

Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu.

Shauna Levy, Megan Oldfield and Karen Kang.

"War Flowers: A Touring Art Exhibition" opening, Toronto

After opening at Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens in Grand-Métis, Que., and a successful stop at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, War Flowers: A Touring Art Exhibition, which through sensory installations explores life and human nature during war, opened in Toronto on Jan. 23 at the Campbell House Museum.

On display alongside the pressed flowers and notes sent by a Canadian soldier to his young daughter – the inspiration for the exhibition – are original scents composed by Quebec perfumer Alexandra Bachand and crystal sculptures by Toronto artist Mark Raynes Roberts, all of which beautifully capture a time and place that affected so many. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, and after the show's Toronto run (through March 25), these objects and stories will travel back to France to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial site before making their final stop at Montreal's Château Ramezay museum.

Alexandra Bachand, Alexander Reford, Mark Raynes Roberts, Anne Michaels and Viveka Melki.

Evie Macdougall and Eric Stevenson.

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