Once upon a time, running into your favourite celeb wandering across Cumberland or squeezing into a new pair of designer denim in the change room next to you at Over the Rainbow was a pretty sure bet during the film festival. Toronto’s rep for a look-but-don’t-touch brand of star worship and a tight schedule of screenings and press conferences confined to Yorkville created our Hollywood North village every year.
The rhythm of TIFF used to be an easy beat with boldface lingering in the city for days. Now, they’re in and they’re out and we’re left with a laundry list of one night stands on the red carpet. After parties can stray as far as the Distillery or the Drake and hundreds of autograph men and women surrounding hotel driveways cancel out any chance of slipping out of the Hazelton for some retail therapy. With swag suites to shop, who needs to open her own wallet anyways?
So who did hit the shops?
In the Mood for Love’s Tony Leung browsed the leather goodies at M0851 on St. Thomas across from the Windsor Arms before jetting back to the Venice film festival where his new Ang Lee flick Lust, Caution picked up the top prize. The coat and bag shop was busy this year gifting the casts of Rendition and Eastern Promises.
If Jake and Reese ever decide to get together (wink!), they’ll have matching hockey bags from the shop to swap. Vincent Cassel’s main squeeze Monica Bellucci received an eggplant purple purse and David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen are both packing city bags.
After strutting around designer shoe spot Davids, Liv Tyler picked up some Christian Louboutins as did Tricia Helfer who added some Giuseppe Zanotti heels to her order. A pair by Givenchy was more Leelee Sobieski’s style.
Kiera Knightly was spotted touring Holt Renfrew’s four swish floors and it turns out all that pre-TIFF Paris Hilton hoopla at Lobby took place during a UPC Boutique fashion show.
George Christie loved his new Daniel Espinosa cufflinks and Extra host Carlos Diaz promised he’d be wearing his pair on the red carpet at this weekend’s Emmy awards.
Star sightings: I thought yesterday’s Leelee Sobieski tale was a little celeb kiss-upy but eTalk gossip Lainey full on ravaged Cassandra’s Dream star Colin Farrell in her TIFF blog yesterday. Lainey calls Farrell “pure sex” so we’re guessing he’d probably be just fine with the cyber rub down.
