Ontario Shops

While home décor options at Hopson Grace are abundant, the presentation is never overwhelming. Store founders Andrea Hopson and Martha Grace McKimm have carefully curated delicate vases (which will undoubtedly turn you into a flower person, if you aren't already), ultramodern cheese boards, oil bottles, and other pretty kitchen essentials. All of it makes for special, thoughtful gifts for a host, but for something truly unique look to the HG Originals line—an assortment of specially made home artifacts including story tiles (each one bearing a Canadian scene), beautifully carved wood blocks, and even raw honey. Images courtesy of Ben Rahman.

Type Books is an adorable independent bookstore stocking titles across every category—from fiction and small-press works to art, design, and young adult. Parents and caregivers take note: There’s a wonderful section for littles out the back with kid-size mushroom-shaped stools to perch on while looking at shelves stacked with picture books and puzzles. The owners have successfully turned their business into a real community hub and regularly host evening talks with authors, giving locals the chance to engage with the literature and with one another.

Founded in 1992, TNT has surged in popularity, and currently houses over 350 international designers. At over 18,000 square feet, the store is really more of a big brand-packed emporium than a boutique. You’ll find all the heavy hitters like Balmain and Victoria Beckham, plus streetwear favorites like Yeezy and Yohji, and smaller labels such as Ryan Roche.

The Narwhal was opened on a quiet residential street in upmarket Summerhill in 2010 as a passion project between two friends. The store offering is eclectic, ranging from Rachel Comey and Ulla Johnson to backpacks, beauty products, and candles. We particularly love the selection of beautiful lingerie from Fortnight and simple hoops and bracelets from Canadian designer Jenny Bird.

With a second location in Los Angeles, this clean beauty mecca is simple and calming in décor and well organized. Founded to combat the fact that some of the most toxic elements in a woman’s life come straight from her beauty products, it sells lines such as RMS, Ila, Rahua, Odacité, and our very own goop by Juice Beauty. A good place to start if you’re looking to clean up your beauty routine, the staff are super knowledgeable and happy to give guidance. There's now another Toronto outpost as well.

Soop Soop was born out of the owner's frustration at not being able to find the publications he was looking for in Toronto. Aside from stocking an incredible selection of over eighty international magazines and art-house publications—including Tank, Love, i-D, and Self Service—Soop Soop has also expanded its offerings to include low- to high-end streetwear, bags, and hats.

Simply put, the North Standard Trading Post stocks all the items you need to survive the brutal Canadian winter. (Think snug coats and sweaters from the likes of Carhartt and Woolrich, as well as North Standard's own label.) The store is celebration of adventure and outdoor living—you’ll notice collections of books themed around Canadian life, vintage issues of National Geographic, and a guide to camping with kids.

Mjölk translates to Milk, because the owners felt that word summed up the inventory, which, like milk, is pure, honest, and essential. This design store is run by husband and wife John and Juli Baker, who traverse the globe seeking out furniture, homewares, lighting, and interesting objects that embody their slow-living aesthetic. Expect a restrained, soothing interior and a careful edit of lifestyle pieces with a focus on craftsmanship and function, like beautifully made Japanese oak stirring spoons or charcoal pine incense—items that enhance your experience of daily life in your own home. The store also acts as a gallery space that regularly exhibits works by Scandinavian and Japanese artists, alongside Mjölk's own product collaborations with local and international designers that explore the art of the daily ritual.

It was a purely word-of-mouth haunt for years, and owner Julie Yoo has managed to assemble one of those incredible vintage shops which is packed to the rafters with legitimate finds—everything from Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. Each piece is in perfect condition, already dry-cleaned, touched up, and ready to wear. This treasure trove isn’t really the spot for a casual browse, but if you’re on a mission and ready to spend, I Miss You is hands down the best vintage store in Toronto, and perhaps one of the best in North America.

Horses Atelier was founded in 2012 by two best friends, Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka, who wanted to make clothes that were beautiful, utilitarian, and durable—the kind of trusted pieces that serve the backbone of your wardrobe, again and again. Sustainability is paramount to both founders, and everything is made with natural fabrics sourced from family-owned mills in Italy and Japan and sewn a mile from their Toronto studio. The pieces themselves are impossible not to love—soft turtlenecks, cool utilitarian jumpsuits in block colors, pretty silk dresses in loose shapes, and cocoon-shaped outerwear in the softest wool.