Lavish&Squalor 253 Queen Street West Toronto

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MEN’S WINTER MELT

FULL LOOK FOR GUYS BY BOBBY RAFFIN available @ Lavish&Squalor: Rogues Gallery “Arrowhead” Tee Comune “Lyle” Hoody life/after/denim Jacket Jihan “Patchwork” Rucksack

With winter slowly moving behind us, we’re left with a whole lot of dark clothing and down feathers stuck on our sweaters. Let us help you melt your winter style rut away and put you in some fresh fabrics and get you into creative layering.

We have this look modeled by Bobby Raffin, that’ll keep you looking warm and feeling good. Soft vintage tees from Rogues Gallery and warm hoodies from Commune will be great for moments when you need to duck outside between classes. The life/after/denim jacket will carry you from Janaury til past spring and will be a great staple in your wardrobe. Speaking of wardrobes, if you need a quick update, think about toting a Jihan patchwork  rucksack. They are handmade in Toronto, so you can best represent your local scene.
Check out more on fashion student, Bobby Raffin in our model Q&A here.

New stock and Sales happening now throughout the store.
Melt away with us THIS SUNDAY with our MELTDOWN SALE - get the last of our winter steals!
Come by Lavish&Squalor, your independent life+style market and get ready to take Spring on.
 
 

WRAP YOURSELF IN WINTER COZY

BB DAKOTA ZEKE COAT

BB DAKOTA GRIFFIN COAT

Having a mild winter is perfect for these BB Dakota light coats.  Not only are they soft and navajo’y, but they are warm without the bulky silhouette. Thanks to fashion student, Monica for modeling the Zeke coat in Brown $139. and Griffin in Red $139.  Get in here quickly because like everything else at Lavish&Squalor right now - they are on sale!

model: Monica Sitnik 
photography: Bobby Raffin

q & a with this week’s Lavish&Squalor model…

Name: Monica
Hometown: Guelph
Astrological Sign: Virgo
Color of eyes: Brown/Amber

Current trend obsession: My current trend obsession would have to be the colour Burgundy. Raspberry, Mahogany, Carmine, Wine, and any other version of this red are totally in for Fall/Winter and I couldn’t be happier. It has always been one of my favourite colours, but seeing it around the market puts a smile on my shopping face. The warmth of this red shade keeps me feeling cozy despite the cold weather, and not to mention it looks great with Navy, Rose and Camel; which are more of this seasons popular colour trends.

Last song downloaded: The last song added onto my playlist was, “TCAG”, by the rapper Sims. His rhymes are slick, and this particular track talks about finding your passion in life, and how the only person who can make you happy, is yourself. I love the underground hip-hop scene and Sims is just one of the many great artists who is a part of Doomtree. I recommend checking them out!

Plans for 2012? My plans for 2012 include finishing school (yay!), finding a rewarding job, and travelling as much as possible! 2011 was extremely stressful, and I plan on making 2012 the best yet! My first travel plans include going to New York for the first time, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Favorite class? I’d have to say my favourite class would be Photo-styling and Display Techniques. I love the visual aspect of fashion, and having the creative freedom as well as the opportunity to shoot with professional photographers to build our portfolios is very, very exciting.

Favorite Lavish&Squalor pieces available in store now ? My favourite L&S pieces would have to be the Zeke wrap coat, the velvet auburn coloured leggings, and all the long tribal earrings in gorgeous multicoloured beads.

SALE THIS SUNDAY @ LAVISH&SQUALOR

This is your chance to get warm+cozy and cool+comfy
wardrobe grabs before they melt away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A COLD STEAL at HALF PRICE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All sale items will be 50% OFF for ONE DAY ONLY

We want to WARM YOUR HEARTS
with some free hot chocolate tooooooooo 2-5pm

Don’t forget, we have been stocking all thru Jan with
new marked down goods ~ so lotsa love around the fire pit over here.

See you on SUNDAY!

X’s & O’s

NEW.MUSIC.LIVE AT LAVISH&SQUALOR

We’re lucky to have such great neighbors! Only a block away from us is MuchMusic and the studio that houses our favorite local daily show, New.Music.Live. They came by the store this past week to profile some of our staff and their individual style which was featured on the show! They deemed us ‘Toronto’s Best Dressers’ – which is quite the compliment, Thanks so much New.Music.Live team!

FIND YOUR PERFECT BAG

Call it fate, call it happenstance, or whatever you want call it, sometimes things just happen for a reason. Take for example, our first encounter with Jihan, who makes backpacks by hand.

A few weeks ago we noticed a beautifully made backpack on a stylish customer and asked her where she got it. Turns out, she made her backpack and has a line of locally made accessories and acquainted herself as Jihan. We brought some in a couple weeks later, and behold, a handmade Patchwork backpack.

Come by Upper Lavish and if chance will have it, you’ll run into them too.

COOL AS COOL ON A COOL DAY

One of the best things of winter is not the snow or hot drinks, but the previews of fresh spring fashion up ahead. But until we get you into caftans and linen shorts, check out this latest shoot with our friend and collaborator, contributor Bobby Raffin who captures the essence of seasonless dressing and mixes it in with his own flare.Bobby styled Natalie with a vintage leopard print trench and some hot leather riding gloves. Paired with boots and tights, Natalie will be warm enough to trek through the streets without the heaviness of those all too consuming puffy jackets and look killer while doing it.Here he pairs a velour utility vest with a warm Brixton plaid shirt and a warm but light fleece hunting hat. It is all about creative layering to keep you warm this January.

Bobby interned a little with us this past season. For our upcoming season we’re looking forward to offering many new opportunities at Lavish&Squalor. Presently, we’re taking submissions for fashion interns to contribute to the creative process of assisting with writing, styling, graphics etc. We want a well rounded person that has good computer and communication skills. So, if you think you have what it takes, contact us with your portfolio and contribution interests right away.

NEW ‘CREEP’ NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR UPPER LEVEL

Heads up! We just got some new Creep on our upper level. This is a limited fabric drop, so you better get it quick. A Japanese brand with a Toronto creative designer that spins the ordinary into something memorable. Get up here and check it out while you still can.

2011 HIGH TIMES FOR LAVISH&SQUALOR

Countdowns are for ball drops and Beyonce,and as we draw a close to 2011, we want to reflect back at what was one our best years yet. We present to you some of our 2011 highlights (and perhaps a sneak peek at 2012) at Lavish&Squalor, your independent life+style market.


The Big Decision, The Big Event

This year we welcomed some friends from the CBC to come in to feature… us! If you’ve ever watched The Dragon’s Den on the CBC, Watch this spring for a new series called The Big Decision where Lavish&Squalor was spotlit for the show! We pulled out all the stops – and even held a store party called The Big Event in celebration of the special. Gypsy jazz, fortune tellers, and live music? Yes!

Upper Lavish

Another big first for us, this past spring we opened the Upper Level for a new feel and a different vibe from the downstairs. Featuring labels like Creep and life/after/denim for the mens section and Gestuz, Religion, and Eleven Paris for the ladies, we’ve gotten accustomed to quite an international look upstairs. Lest us not forget however, Covet, Left on Houston, and Muttonhead Collective, a few of the local or Canadian labels we love up here too.


New Lines

Speaking of, we brought in some really great labels in the store this year. Aforementioned, we brought in Muttonhead Collective, a Toronto label designed by three Ryerson grads who strive to make a line that is more environmentally conscious. Another great brand, Nois et Gris, shown on left. We also brought in some amazing street fashion lines from Europe, Eleven Paris which is from (you guessed it) France, and 5 Preview from Italy. On our main level you may have also waited for shipments from WeWood Watches, watches that with every purchase plants a tree with the non-profit American Forest. You also may have loved our selection of Manitobah Mukluks, a label that is 100% Native owned, 100% Canadian, and made of high quality materials.

Cinq à sept

A lot of people are shocked when we tell them we have a weekly cocktail hour on Fridays on our Upper Level. Yes, we have Cinq a Sept, from 5-7 we serve complimentary cocktails to visitors who come upstairs. Sometimes we have designers or label sponsor the event – you may have been at a Cinq a Sept that was hosted by Manitobah Mukluks, Levi’s, White Feather Designs, or even fashion blogger Bobby Raffin! Come by, even just to chat with us!

You!

We want to thank YOU for making this one of our best years yet – without you, we definitely would not be here. So, cheers to us and to you, and we hope you have a fabulous and safe New Years! See you in 2012!

MASTERPIECE THEATER

If you look up “Dolorous” in the dictionary you might find that it is a word defined by sadness or distress. The only sadness we can see from our collection of Dolorous Jewelry from Canadian designer Danielle Singer is the beautiful tear drop crystal component from one of the body harness pieces we carry on our Upper Level.

These pieces are made in Toronto and incorporate reworked vintage parts and purposeful tarnish and wear to give each piece a truly unique look. Come visit us upstairs on our Upper Level at Lavish&Squalor and we’ll outfit you into a work of art.

NYE JACKETS & DRESSES @ LAVISH&SQUALOR

They say that the way you spend your New Years is the way you’ll spend the rest of the year – so why not make 2012 a stylish one and make your debut into this year with unique dresses and jackets from your independent life+style market, Lavish&Squalor. We have dresses from Gestuz, Religion, B.B. Dakota and jackets from Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Vanishing Elephant, and Rogues Gallery. We even have the perfect accessories to light up your look from local designers such as Vitaly, White Feather Design, and Katiya. Come in before the clock hits midnight and set this party off!

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