Yesterday evening we had the pleasure of previewing Massimo Dutti’s first North American store located in the Toronto Eaton Centre.The classic Spanish brand, founded as a men’s clothing retailer back in 1985, now extends its collection to women’s and kids clothing across 585 points of sale in 53 countries.
The Toronto location marks the brands foray into the North American market, continuing into October when they’ll open a New York location on Fifth avenue, housing a collection exclusive to the city. Inside Massimo Dutti in Toronto, you are greeted by a life-size white horse complete with monogrammed saddle, and a jazzy mannequin rocking a classic nautical look.
What’s not obvious about Massimo Dutti is that it’s actually Zara’s sister company, with a slightly higher price point, finer quality materials, construction, and overall execution. The moment you step into the store, it exudes a kind of luxury one might expect from an established luxury brand, minus the hefty price tag. With mens cashmere sweaters at $225, actually made in Italy (instead of China like most), and ladies quilted leather coats running $395 (made in Turkey), it’s clear the brand puts quality and construction first.
For men the displays are punctuated with New York’s neighbourhoods in mind. Styles from the Meatpacking district offered more performance wear, while Times Square is distinguished by its muted colour palette. Shades of reds and burgundy in the Madison Avenue portion of the store represent the ad men of New York, while English-style equestrian checkered suits with leather elbow patches pay homage to New York’s Hudson River. Heading further back into the store, the colours become muted yet effortlessly classic to represent wall street, sprinkled with gorgeously tailored shoes and leather accessories all made by hand.
For women, Massimo Dutti stays true to an elegant cosmopolitan women, with a keen eye for fine materials and construction. The collection includes edited classic pieces like a classic blazer leather trimmed blazer, ten variations on leather jackets, tailored trousers, elegant dresses, and a luxurious cotton leather accented cape perfect for mid-season. A signature fall look from the brand might include a bright Angora sweater, paired with a pair of black leather pants and a cropped fluffy muted grey coat and ankle boots. Also featured in the collection are a few stylish finely constructed shoes, hats, scarves, leather bags, and a selection of sunglasses and excellently detailed watches.
Careful attention is paid to how the pieces are arranged within the stores to create a luxurious welcoming environment for customers, which even extends into the air which is perfumed by their signature scent. We’re very excited they decided to come to Canada first before heading to New York and think the collection will be very well received each season.
Take a gander at our photos of the Toronto location below.
