The luxury retail brand offers a curated mix of up-and-coming designers, established labels and archival vintage.

When shoppers walk into the new Absolutely Fabrics boutique in Toronto’s Summerhill neighbourhood, owner Kaelen Haworth wants them to feel right at home.

The 7,000 square foot clothing store, which opened Saturday, has been carefully designed to feel warm and inviting. For anyone familiar with the homegrown brand or former fashion designer Haworth, it’s also a given that the space is full of tasteful touches: A Lea Colombo Red Jasper coffee table and matching benches, sculptural lighting pieces by artist Dana Arbib, and artwork by designers carried at the store.

“I want people to come in and stay and have a lovely time whether they’re shopping or not,” said Haworth, who ran two clothing labels in New York before closing them and returning home to Toronto in 2020 to enter the retail space.

The new store is the brand’s flagship; the first location opened on Queen Street West in 2023. Since then, Absolutely Fabrics has become a go-to for premier luxury retail, selling a curated mix of up-and-coming designers, established labels and archival vintage. New for the brand, the Summerhill location will also feature a dedicated menswear floor.

Haworth hopes the new location will be “the store you have to go to when you’re in Toronto,” in the same vein as Colette in Paris or Barneys and Jeffrey in New York.

Interior designer Clarisa Llaneza (who also happens to be one of the shop’s most loyal customers) created a space that blends into its residential surroundings. Haworth said Llaneza designed the store to feel more akin to a home than a conventional retail environment, with cozy details such as carpeting, dark wood and coffered ceilings.

Instead of window displays, Haworth said, “we have blinds that will close in the evening, and it will be like the house is going to sleep for the night.”

Enhancing the in-person retail experience

Haworth isn’t alone in her desire to build a memorable brick-and-mortar experience, nor in her choice to open up shop in Summerhill. Other Toronto brands have also been opting for quiet neighbourhoods over busy downtown streets, aiming to create a slower-paced retail environment while becoming part of a local community.

Despite the popularity of e-commerce, research shows that customers are hungry for elevated in-person retail. A survey by financial technology platform Adyen found that 58 per cent of Canadians enjoy visiting physical stores to browse or relax, even without purchase intent, while 52 per cent said they want to see, feel or try an item before buying it.

Brands are acting accordingly, said Santo Ligotti, the vice-president of marketing and member services at the Retail Council of Canada.

“Physical stores play a critical role, not just for the transaction, but for discovery, returns and brand experience,” he said. “What we have seen is ongoing optimization: Some retailers are reducing underperforming locations, others are investing in fewer, better stores and some are renovating existing stores to enhance them.”

Flagship locations in particular play an important role, said Ani Nersessian, the founder of VM ID Inc., a retail visual merchandising agency. A flagship is typically a brand’s largest and most important location, and highlights the best of what a company has to offer.

“While other locations may be more directly accountable for producing sales, flagship stores often have a broader responsibility to build awareness, strengthen brand perception and create experiences that influence purchasing,” she said.

Bringing new designers to Toronto

Physical stores also provide opportunities for community events. Absolutely Fabrics’ Queen location hosts launch dinners, styling events and other functions that introduce customers to new brands. These kinds of events will be an even greater priority in the new space, Haworth said.

She enjoys introducing Canadian shoppers to brands she discovered in New York, such as Christopher John Rogers, Nomia and Proenza Schouler. She’s strategic about how she positions their products, placing them next to more well-known but similar designers so her customers can discover pieces that align with their taste.

“Conner Ives does not have Canadian representation,” she said as an example, “So, if we put Conner next to Marni and Fforme, people will then understand that they can buy this brand, too.”

Ultimately, Haworth hopes the new store will be a place where shoppers can enjoy a beautiful space, talk about clothing with knowledgeable staff, enjoy a beverage, try things on and feel good.

“It started as – and it still remains – a place of discovery,” she said. “That’s what I want people to do when they come in: Discover new brands, discover something new about a brand they already know, and just have a really open and interesting experience.”

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Toronto’s Absolutely Fabrics unveils its new flagship