A Look Inside the Webster’s New Toronto Flagship
The Webster — the famed luxury multi-brand concept store — has officially opened its first international boutique in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. The brand is set to become a major luxury retail competitor in the city with its innovative strategy that revolves around a one-on-one approach to shopping and a collection of luxury products that cannot be found anywhere else.
The Webster is known for housing the industry’s leading fashion designers and has a unique selection from brands including Alexander Wang, Burberry, Fear of God, Moncler, Raf Simons, Versace, and Vetements. The retailer has become a site for exclusive collaborations with renowned brands, and has permanent partnerships with David Mallett, who operates out of the brand’s SoHo location. The Webster also has its own luxury clothing line, LHD, designed by founder Laure Hériard Dubreuil.
The opening of The Webster Toronto comes fresh off the heels of the retailer’s Los Angeles flagship opening in January 2020 and the Montecito outpost at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, which opened in July of that same year. The Webster, founded in 2009, has emerged victorious from the challenges connected with the pandemic while many other competitors in the fashion retail landscape have struggled to stay afloat. All that to say, they’re doing something a little different.
The retailer’s success is in part due to the brand’s more personalized approach to shopping. Their top-of-the-line team almost feels like you have a personal stylist at your beck and call. They are able to provide brand and fit recommendations, can pre-order runway pieces, and even hold private appointments for clients. That said, exceptional customer service is just one aspect of what makes the retailer unique.
This impressive 6,500 square foot space, donned in The Webster’s signature pink hue, marks a significant departure for the retailer as it’s their first international store thus far. The storefront, originally constructed in 1884 by Leeds Sheppard, was reinterpreted and designed by Stéphane Parmentier — the Parisian interior designer and Creative Director of The Webster Home vertical. Parmentier worked closely with Toronto-based Cumulus Architects to bring the project to fruition. Preserving and restoring historical buildings has been at the core of The Webster’s DNA since the brand’s inception. Both the original South Beach store, as well as their SoHo location are heritage properties that have been retooled to suit The Webster’s aesthetic.
The Webster has been quick to capitalize on a new trend that sees retailers becoming a casual hangout spot that sells a range of coveted luxury goods. The retailer has gained a reputation among those “in-the-know” due to its distinctive curated collections that mix big brands with emerging ones. Rather than dividing the store into specific sections for each brand, Heriard Dubreuil organizes the space as if it were her personal wardrobe, creating a one-of-a-kind “brand matrix” that is sure to impress even the harshest of critics.
“The idea was a place where you can feel very comfortable,” says Heriard Dubreuil of The Webster’s concept. “It’s a place to spend time. You arrive, you take off your shoes, you’re at someone’s house, or you’re in your gigantic closet, and you can try [on] everything.”
Learn more about The Webster and visit their online store here.
