address: 3963 & 3971 Saint Laurent
phone number: 514-985-1196
hours of operation: Mon-Wed:10am - 6pm/Thurs-Fri:10am - 7pm/Sat: 10am- 5pm/Sun: 12pm-5pm
payment methods:Cash,MasterCard,Visa,Amex, Interac

When I step into Rush, Claudette Floyd, the store’s owner and designer, is shimmying her tall frame into a dress the colour of lemon meringue. “I think this is a small,” she tells her assistant, who stands sewing handfuls of colourful silk next to shelves loaded with rolls of fabric. Claudette’s daughter is perched on a stool by the work table, just watching.

I began to covet Claudette’s designs after too many late nights on Saint Laurent — the store is on Saint Laurent just below Duluth (across from the Copacabana, right beside Moishes). The windows of Rush flaunt colour (some past designs have included an electric blue cocktail dress and a gown made of Tibetan-monk orange) but they’ve got more to offer than straight out flash. Claudette also makes toned-down jackets and coats with belted, fanned out hems that one-up the classics.

The goods don’t come cheap, though, so be prepared. Jackets start at $350; you can find a little bolero for about $250. Cocktail dresses start at $280, evening gowns can go up to $1500. There is always a rack of discounts for those of us with blessed with naturally slim pocketbooks — last season’s offerings are reduced 30%. Rush collections are appropriate for women of all ages. Designs cover day and evening, work, and even tripping down the aisle, or dancing on a rooftop of some foreign city. And if you don’t have an event lined that demands a pretty dress or sharp tweed, Claudette suggests you buy what you love and create your own occasion.
profile by Melissa Bull
photography by Heather Utah

Last issue Worn started a new tradition. We asked an artist who has contributed to the current issue to also design a limited-edition one-inch pin. Issue 05 feature proved popular with Tyler Rauman’s cute Worn underpants. This issue we asked Pin Pal’s Sam Purdy to make us one of her cross-stitched wonders and […]

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Geene Courtney for Zion Meat Products Co.
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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address: 829 Dundas St. West
phone number: 416.532.4231
hours of operation: Tues-Sun 1-6pm
payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Interac (everything but Amex)
directions: 3 blocks west of Bathurst on Dundas, corner of Euclid Ave. and Dundas St.
handicap accessible: Not really, 3 steps up.

Stepping into this relatively new Dundas location, it might not be immediately apparent why Melanie’s Closet is unique to Toronto’s vintage market. The current spot, nestled on the south side of Dundas at Euclid, was once a tailoring shop and still retains its red and white signage above the front window as a reminder of its former life. This is very much in keeping with Melanie, the owner’s philosophy: She’s not just a retailer, but also a caretaker of each item’s history. Many of the pieces, she states, are chosen as much for their story as for their brands, lines, or cut.

The store, whose eccentric beginning was in private showings of Melanie’s own studio/living space, will soon be relocating to a new location at Gladstone and Dundas. The new building (opening in the Fall of 2008) will feature a café and the jewelry and fine threads currently available at Melanie’s closet, as well as Melanie’s leatherworking studio for her own label, ‘clothes horse’. Until then, the Euclid location is a hidden gem – and Dundas is no longer out of the way if you’re looking for great shopping and stores filled with design by local up-and-comings.

Typical Melanie’s Closet shoppers might be creative folks in their twenties and thirties, who are looking for special vintage pieces that can be worn everyday. Prices range from $5-500; Melanie tries to keep it accessible. The shop is a good source for period pieces, hats, boots, clutches and funky retro or reworked jewelry. As an added bonus, it’s one of the few places I’ve managed to find vintage cufflinks in the city. Go for the conversation as much as for the clothes.

I can’t wait for the coffee…

Amanda DeLong