This is the weekly Style File, featuring what’s on the radar of The Globe’s lifestyle desk – from travel to home and design, wellness, fashion or beauty. Sign up for The Globe’s arts and lifestyle newsletters for more news, columns and advice in your inbox.
Designer Spotlight
Rosy Outlook
Bespoke textile designer Candice Kaye is the person retail and restaurant behemoths such as MoMA, Maman café, Bacardi, Nike and Microsoft call when they want to create colourful surfaces that leave a lasting impression. Since the Richmond Hill, Ont., native started her own firm, Candice Kaye Design (CKD), in 2015 she has created unforgettable interiors for more than 30 eateries across North America, including Planta and Kasa Moto in Toronto, Papi Steak and Komodo at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, as well as 53 at the Museum of Modern Art. Her goal? “To push perspectives and make people look at textile differently than before.” Now she is taking one of her signature wallpaper prints – The Rose – and giving it the tonal, cream-on-cream treatment that is ideal for the home. The print is special to Kaye. When she was studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, her professor told her: “If you can paint the rose, you can do anything in our industry.” She practised and perfected it, using it to launch what has become a signature collection of hand-painted wallpapers, rugs, upholstery fabrics and embroidered linens. The new rose print ranges from $9.50 to $13.50 a square foot, depending on the paper type; and comes in 54″ by 108″. Custom heights are available on request. Sold exclusively at candicekayedesign.com/shopwallpaper.
Investment Buys
Ahead of the pack
Iconic travel brand Tumi has unveiled four new products – all durable, lightweight and sexy looking – that will now round out its popular 19 Degree Aluminium collection. In a futuristic ad campaign featuring Tumi brand ambassador Son Heung-min, the South Korean football player (who wears the backpack) takes viewers on a mesmerizing ride through abstract spaces, each representing the distinct features of the 19 Degree Aluminium collection. Besides the backpack, the expanded collection also includes a new compact carry-on, a briefcase and a minaudiere (a versatile style with two detachable shoulder straps, ideal for nights out and special occasions). “With this campaign, we continue to propel Tumi as a beacon of limitless evolution,” says Jill Krizelman, Tumi’s senior vice-president of marketing and e-commerce. The backpack (which retails for $2,205) is a first of its kind for Tumi, designed with a leather back panel featuring the signature 19 Degree contours. The new carry-on is a scaled down version ideal for business travellers with a need for smaller luggage ($1,555); and the briefcase and the minaudiere are both fashion-forward statement pieces that retail for $2,205 and $1,425, respectively. Go to www.tumi.com.
Hotel Update
Main-floor attraction
A bit of Parisian flair is coming to the newly renovated Hilton hotel in downtown Toronto, which will soon open the elegant Frenchy, a bar and brasserie inside the main lobby. Designed to be the heartbeat of the property, the ambience is sophisticated but bold, with a colour palette of deep burgundy hues, mixed with rich woods, marble and exuberant florals. A collaboration between the award-winning studio DesignAgency and developer Barney River, it will function as a lobby bar, intimate lounge and fine-dining experience with food from executive chef Aaron Chen. “Every bite at Frenchy should celebrate the essence of French gastronomy with a touch of relaxed elegance,” says Chen, whose bar snacks will include items such as crispy olives, escargot vol-au-vent and croque monsieur sliders; while the dinner menu will boast French staples such as truffle-baked brie and foie gras mousse (as starters) and mains including bouillabaisse, cote de boeuf for two and duck confit cassoulet. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Matt Davis, founding partner of DesignAgency, said they “envisioned Frenchy as a nexus that would draw visitors and locals to gather and sit comfortably side-by-side.” For more information on hours and menu items, go to www.frenchytoronto.com.