Inside Holt Renfrew’s new hr2 store at Vaughan Mills: 25,000 square feet of affordable designer duds

Holt Renfrew hr2 Vaughan Mills

Holt Renfrew hr2 Vaughan Mills

See Holt Renfrew hr2 Vaughan Mills in photos »

Holt Renfrew’s got a brand new bag. Well, lots of ‘em. And they’re real affordable, too. hr2, Holt Renfrew’s new budget-friendly kid sister opened its doors at Toronto’s Vaughan Mills megamall today and is sure to make designer diehards on a budget jump for joy.

Boasting 25,000 square feet of off-price (translation: cheaper) designer womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories and jewellery, hr2 carries over 150 covet-worthy brands including Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Michael Kors, Alice + Olivia, Burberry, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Prada and Mulberry. And while most brands are already being carried at Holt Renfrew, hr2’s product range is wholly unique.

We attended a preview of hr2’s second store (the first opened in April at Quebec’s Quartier Dix30) last night and were on the hunt for the best deals. There were many, to say the least, but our favourites included a classic DVF wrap dress priced at $199 (I’ve personally forked out upwards of $400 for a similar style), coloured skinny jeans starting at $89 and a Foley + Corinna transparent tote at $118. The piece de resistance, though, (it had bloggers a-buzz) was a beige patent pair of Christian Louboutin wedge heels for—get this—$169. Unheard of!

A sure sign that hr2 is the latest and greatest in retail: the 100-deep line of shoppers waiting to enter its doors upon its grand opening this morning.

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