As Shangri-La
Hotel, Toronto prepares to welcome festivalgoers and Torontonians during TIFF,
the hotel celebrated its four-year anniversary last night with the debut of a revamped
Lobby Lounge. The hotel was dressed to impress for the occasion thanks to a new
collaboration with William Vintage. As a nod to the synergy between fashion and
film, four couture masterpieces now stand on display in the lobby. As Hollywood
elite descends on Toronto for TIFF, the city’s best-dressed fashionistas will
have a chic new backdrop for social gatherings, and a
couture-inspired cocktail collection to enjoy.
Famed
vintage collector William Banks-Blaney has provided four extraordinary
ensembles from designers Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Roberto Capucci,
and Bob Mackie. Each dress demonstrates a unique perspective on elegant evening
wear from eras throughout 20th century fashion, including an evening gown and statement
cape created by Yves Saint Laurent which featured in his retirement runway show,
and a the legendary golden gown Bob Mackie created for Sharon Stone to wear in Martin
Scorsese’s film “Casino.”
In
tandem with the couture dress display, Lobby Lounge is introducing a new series
of cocktails titled the “Couture Cocktail Collection.” Each cocktail has been
carefully crafted by Lobby Lounge’s mixologists to complement the elaborate
designs of each dress. Standout cocktails are the “Casino,” made with Bombay
Gin, Prosecco, Simple Syrup, and dusted with gold, as well as the “Fire and
Ice” made with Patron Silver Tequila, Grapefruit, Cointreau, Lime, and a Rose
and Chili Sphere.
“Since
our opening four years ago, the Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto has
solidified its reputation as the hottest social spot in the city,” said Jens
Moesker, area general manager, Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. “We have always wanted
our guests to feel as if they were sitting in a friend’s well-appointed living
room; a welcoming environment for locals and travellers to experience the space
as desires, whether that’s in a seat by the fireplace, cocktails and live music
at the piano, or tucked away in a cozy corner amongst the couture. We are
incredibly grateful that this community has embraced the Lobby Lounge, and hope
this refresh will continue to make everyone’s gatherings that much more
memorable.”
The
Couture Cocktail Collection will be available in Lobby Lounge through TIFF,
from 1 to 18 September. Lobby Lounge is open daily from 5:00 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Monday to Wednesday, 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 5:00 p.m.
to 12:00 a.m. on Sunday. For more information or to make reservations, please
call 647-788-8888 or email lobbylounge.slto@shangri-la.com.
For online reservations please visit http://www.opentable.com/the-lobby-lounge-at-the-shangri-la-toronto.
Notes to the editor:
Expert
vintage retailer William Banks-Blaney is a world leader in collecting vintage
couture. His revolutionary vintage haute
couture company William Vintage has become synonymous with inspirational rare
vintage and timeless style, earning him the moniker as the “King of Vintage” by
Vogue Magazine. In 2015, Banks-Blaney released his first book, 25 Dresses” by Quadrille, and William Vintage introduced its first contemporary
collection, an exclusive collaboration with Liberty London.
In
collaboration with Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto, William Vintage has provided four
couture masterpieces from designers Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Roberto
Capucci, and Bob Mackie:
- Created for friend and muse of
Yves Saint Laurent, Nan Kempner, this rare couture evening dress and cape ensemble
debuted in 1983 at the opening night of the Saint Laurent exhibit at the Met,
and featured in his retirement runway show in 1992.
- Hailing from one of the world’s
greatest couture houses, Dior, “Bal Masque” is a rare dress that was part of a
collection inspired by the French empire of the 1820s.
- Celebrated and admired by Dior,
Italian designer Roberto Capucci’s career spans more than six decades and his
exquisitely made dresses – including Fire dress – are found within the world’s
great museum collections.
- An important part of the legacy
of Hollywood fashion is a spectacular couture dress by Bob Mackie designed for
Sharon Stone’s role in Martin Scorsese’s “Casino.” The dress gives a nod to
Marlene Dietrich’s 1961 crystal dress and Marilyn Monroe’s crystal dress of
1962.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, an iconic flagship brand of the Shangri-La Group, currently operates over 80 deluxe hotels and resorts with a room inventory of over 35,000. Renowned for its distinctive Asian hospitality, the Company has properties in destinations of Australia, Canada, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sultanate of Oman, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The group’s award-winning Golden Circle loyalty programme extends to all properties of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts worldwide. For more information, visit
www.shangri-la.com.