Are you ready? Can you handle it? Are you sure? Okay cool, well just in case take a breath and sit down because ta da: Saks Fifth Avenue is open at the Eaton Centre as of today. (We did it, everyone! You and me!)
“It is a thrilling moment opening our Canadian flagship store,” said Marc Metrick, President of Saks Fifth Avenue. “We are so excited to bring the best of Saks to Toronto.”
“After more than two years of planning, our entry into Canada is truly a milestone for our company. We cannot wait to bring the Saks experience of an elegant edit of the best designer names, coupled with distinctive, personalized service to Toronto.”
And la dee da, he isn’t kidding. Brands you can find there include Dior, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Chloe, Celine, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Givenchy, and Alaia. Also, they’re launching a service they’re debuting in Canada: Saks at Your Service, a shopping service that brings the best of Saks directly to a client’s house, hotel, or wherever they happen to be. (Will check and see if I can call from my car, in a parking lot where I’m napping, to see if this service applies there, too.) (JK — but I mean, it probably does.) And on top of this, Saks will introduce The Fifth Avenue Club, which is a private shopping destination for men and women who seek out personalized styling.
Exciting! Also exciting: both the Eaton Centre and Sherway Gardens locations (which opens next week on the 25th) will have a Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s and two new restaurant concepts by Oliver & Bonacini.
Basically, what we’re learning here is that Saks is a solid return to the old school department store blueprint currently experiencing a revival. (Ex. shopping is now an outing — like a trip to Bergdorf’s — and not a disposable grab and go experience ala 1994.) And that’s pretty cool! Now, we can all shop and eat and shop and eat and try so hard not to touch the fancy clothes with our sandwich hands (even though I know I will for sure because I may be 30, but you can absolutely not take me anywhere).
So I’ll see you there! Tonight, even! Just try and pry the food from my hands! I dare you! (Welcome to Toronto, Saks!)
Photo Credit: George Pimentel
