California-based smart knitwear brand St. John has opened a new store in Toronto's Yorkville.
The latest luxury retail addition to Toronto’s tony Mink Mile is St. John, the California-based brand known for its smart knitwear. With 2,100 square feet of space, the store carries St. John’s full product range of ready-to-wear and accessories for women. As an exclusive at the store, customers can find a button customization concept where 36 signature archive buttons can be added to new jackets or one of the brand’s toppers that’s already in your wardrobe.
The opening of the store coincided with a revival for the brand, which was founded in 1962. “We’re really modernizing our brand. We’re taking it forward for today’s modern woman, but at the same time we’re deeply honouring our heritage, our DNA, our icons, our skills and our artisans,” CEO Eran Cohen says. “We’re restarting the conversation with new women, but the same kind of woman. That same powerful, ambitious, intelligent woman.”
The store carries the full St. John’s range of ready-to-wear and accessories for women.
Part of this modernization is the addition of creative director Zoe Turner, who joined St. John in October following a career spent at Christian Dior, Max Mara and Alberta Ferretti. Turner is putting her spin on the house’s signatures by looking to its history as a go-to fashion source for professional women. She marked her debut with a limited-release capsule collection of dresses, suiting, separates and outerwear available exclusively online. “The reason we’ll be able to move forward is Zoe and a tremendous vision and understanding of how women today want to dress, how they want to express themselves,” Cohen says.
St. John, 130 Bloor St. W., Toronto, 437-375-7161, stjohnknits.com.
Handout
St. John Liquid Milano Mock Neck Gown, $2,925.
St. John Camellia Novelty Textured Knit Jacket, $2,260.
St. John Stretch Viscose Lined Cady Jacket, $1,990.
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