TNT 87 Avenue Road, 416-975-1810, tntfashion.ca
When TNT launched on Eglinton 20 years ago, the shop didn’t stock a single pair of jeans. The designer denim the store is so well known for didn’t arrive until over a decade later, when owner Arie Assaraf created sister stores called TNT Blu to carry jean labels like Earl and Seven. Other openings included a men’s store and the Gallerie concept space.
Assaraf’s new Hazelton Lanes home, launching tonight (Thursday, May 12) with an appearance by Nicole Richie and a customer shopping event from 7 to 10 pm, brings all those offshoots under one roof. But don’t call the two-level, 14,000-square-foot space a department store.
“I prefer ‘big boutique,'” says Assaraf, emphasizing that although he now carries covetable footwear, including Miu Miu shoes this coming fall, cases of jewellery, designer dresses and an annex of Free City sweats, the space is still intimate. For guys, there are Comme des Garçons blazers and the best velour chinos on the racks of the 4,000-square-foot menswear store next door.
TNT picks: Smythe creates exclusive styles for TNT like a white blazer with perforated leather sleeve patches, $575 Free City’s loungewear ranges from $145 to $195 scarves by Faliero Sarti, including tie-dyed and lace options, start at $150.
Look for: An online shop launching in the fall.
Hours: Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Thursday 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm.
