Toronto: The coolest apartment in town
Apt. 909 (909 Dundas St. W., 416-916-7599, apt909.blogspot.com), coincidentally also my apartment number, is a cozy vintage stop with an extensive archive of designer vintage that ranges from Louboutin, Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and YSL to the more eclectic gems from Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto. With ephemera casually scattered about in shop amidst antique decor, each piece is tagged like an artifact with handwritten descriptions by owners Elizabeth Gondek and Ria Jones.
Next to Lanvin scarfs and Pucci blouses, you will discover pieces like this jersey tube dress (above right) from Y-3, the Yohji Yamamoto’s signature sportswear for Adidas. The tongue-in-cheek print was part of a special collection for the 2004 Olympics.
Authentic Canadian couture pieces from the likes of Wayne Clark can be found on the racks as well. His one piece, sheer black robe dress with gold geometric embroidering accents is evening glamor meets bohemian warrior woman.
Also spotted was a sleek 1990s Comme des Garçons tailcoat (above right). To complete the Marlene Dietrich ensemble, offset the masculine tailoring with a hint of romance in the form of a pair of fringed, ankle-strap stilettos by Romeo Gigli (left).
The shop is also popular with the boys--behind the trove of accessories lies a large selection of beautiful menswear ranging from classic to edgy.
It so happens that everyone at the shop are amazingly cool chats. You’d have an equally lovely time browsing their selection of designer vintage as you do picking their brains on art, fashion and music. Visit their blog for a closer peak at what’s in store at Apt. 909.
The prestige exclusivity of being separate from the rest is the allure to all things odd. This aspiring style geek is on a quirk hunt for odd gems around the city. Join me as I venture into an alternative fashion metropolis hidden within Toronto.
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