It is no surprise that the fashion retail landscape has been changing here in Canada (and abroad) over the last decade. The advent of the Internet and social media has changed the way people shop, and where (and from who) they get their fashion information. Gone are the days of big box stores determining the trends through mailed catalogues, or the fashion editorial elite telling consumers what to wear each season. These elements of fashion promotion definitely still exist, but now consumers have the autonomy to decide whether or not they listen. Mass retailers and department stores have been struggling to retain audiences and guarantee sales, but there is a wave of modern retailers making moves to set themselves apart. Nordstrom is one of those stores. Founded in Seattle, Nordstrom has quickly expanded to international territory and over the last five years has swiftly expanded to Canadian territory. With stores opening in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary (including more than one location in the GTA), Canadian consumers are being exposed to a glossier way to shop.
We had the pleasure of attending the Nordstrom Sherway Gardens opening night party (dubbed Nordstrom Night Out) and boy did we have a great time! The space was gorgeous and bright (typical of Nordstrom stores – go to the Eaton Centre to see what we mean). The music was loud but not distasteful (there was a live band on the second floor!). There were activations a plenty – they had a Yayoi Kusama inspired light room where guests could take selfies and professional photos in a room filled with sparkly lights. The food was spectacular – hors d’oeuvres were around every corner and could appease many palettes. There were grilled scallops en croutes, miniature beef steak bites on skewers, mini poke bowls wrapped in seaweed, crostini with various toppings, chicken pate with potato crunches, and even chicken salad bites inside miniature waffle cones. Dessert course nibbles included chocolate truffle bites and what looked like miniature tiramisu’s.
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Now we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the fashion of Nordstrom Night Out, because there was a lot of it. And hello we were at an opening for a fashion store. One amazing thing about the evening was the live model presentations that displayed Fall 2017 Trends IRL. Rotating groups of models circulated the party at random intervals wearing outfits styled by the Nordstrom team, all using pieces that were available to buy in store. There was chic tailoring and tweed (because hello its fall) as well as traditional cold weather colours like camel, chartreuse and maroon. There were ruffles and billowing sleeves as we’ve seen on runways for a few seasons now. There were heels worn with cute ankle socks, leopard and floral prints. A little bit of athleisure and a little bit of military glam. To cut to the chase, we are so ready for fall and we want to buy everything Nordstrom has to offer. We also loved that they had menswear trends sprinkled throughout the night, so fellas, you are not left out here.
Aside from the fashion being displayed by the Nordstrom team, we got an equal amount of fashion inspiration from the guest’s attire. We’ve said it before (here) that Toronto has some seriously stylish people and the attendees of #NNO were no exception.
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Nordstrom Sherway Gardens officially opens on Friday, September 15th, so make sure to take a trip and check it out for yourself! You won’t regret it.
