Iki, 19 Kensington, 416-598-0790, shopiki@sympatico.ca Rating: NNNNN
After living for three years behind the tiny storefront of her Kensington boutique, Iki , owner Sheri Decaro is finally getting a place of her own – upstairs. There are big plans for the charming store that means “breath of fresh air” in Japanese, including an upcoming expansion of Decaro’s former apartment into more room for the store. That’s good news, because everything in Iki is absolutely adorable. With its focus on cool local designers (silk-screened Oligarchy T-shirts are my fave), Iki is the sweet spot among the vintage stores on the famous Kensington strip. Decaro’s friends and neighbours contribute to the eclectic mix of housewares, clothing and accessories. Be wowed by the hand-sewn tops perfect for traipsing around the downtown core, and the oh-so-cute reversible glitter bags with silkscreened unicorns and kittens. Think you’re too cool for unicorns? Once you enter the fairyland world of Iki, you’ll never look back.
Decaro’s Picks: Reversible animal transfer tote bags with glitter piping, $48 OK 47 women’s line, from $48 to $104 fawn, gnome and mini-mushroom lamps, $49.
Look for: An expansion of the store come mid-November, sales on select items just in time for the winter holidays, and featured clothing lines by hot new Canadian designers. (Decaro’s always looking for new contributors.)
Store hours: 1 to 6 pm every day.
